The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has disclosed that an individual once demanded a house in exchange for providing intelligence on drug-related activities.

Appearing before Parliament's Assurances Committee on July 7, 2026, he said the incident reflects a growing trend in which some members of the public expect financial or material rewards before sharing information with security agencies.

"There was a time somebody came to me and said, if I could build him a house, he would help me do a lot. Unfortunately, we couldn't do that," he told the Committee.

Major General Mantey expressed concern that such demands undermine efforts to strengthen intelligence-led operations against drug trafficking, stressing that public cooperation remains essential in tackling increasingly sophisticated narcotics networks.

He noted that traffickers continually adapt their methods to evade law enforcement, making credible information from citizens indispensable to the Commission's work.

"Each day, the traffickers evolve new strategies and try to go ahead of us. They connect, and they cooperate among themselves on how to outwit us," he said.

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Major General Mantey explained that while NACOC relies heavily on intelligence from the public, some informants now expect payment before volunteering information.

"But as my minister said, we base most of our measures on intelligence. The only thing is that Ghanaians have now become a bit demanding, so when they send you intelligence, they demand money," he said.

Despite the challenge, he assured the Committee that NACOC remains committed to working with citizens and other stakeholders to combat narcotics trafficking through intelligence-driven operations.

His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of Ghana's role in international drug trafficking following the interception in Australia of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment from Ghana.

Major General Mantey reiterated that sustained public cooperation is critical to preventing Ghana from being used as a transit point for international drug trafficking.

MRA/BAI

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