The Presidency has issued a revised invitation for a high-level security and narcotics control meeting following public criticism over the exclusion of the ministers responsible for key agencies invited to the meeting.

The meeting follows the seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine and other illegal drugs in shipments linked to Ghana in France and Australia.

It is expected to review measures governing the shipment of cargo out of the country and identify how drug traffickers are able to use Ghana as a transit point for narcotics.

“You are respectfully invited to attend a high-level meeting to discuss measures to strengthen Ghana's border security and prevent the trafficking of narcotic drugs and other illicit substances through the country's ports, airports and land borders.

“The meeting will review existing vulnerabilities, intelligence-sharing arrangements, cargo and passenger screening systems, inter-agency coordination, and the deployment of technology to detect and disrupt narcotics trafficking. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at the Jubilee House,” parts of the invitation letter from the Presidency read.

The initial invitation, signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, was sent to the Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The other addressees included heads of departments and agencies under the Ministry of Transport, such as the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers’ Authority and Ghana Airports Company Limited, as well as institutions under the Ministry of the Interior, including the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission.

However, the ministers responsible for those sectors were not included in the initial invitation.

The absence of the Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, and the Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, drew criticism from members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some security analysts.

The critics questioned why heads of agencies under the two ministries had been invited without their respective sector ministers.

NPP Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, raised the issue in a social media post.

“I am wondering if these state institutions now operate without their respective Ministers. If not, why would the heads of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority and Ghana Airports Company Limited, all under the Ministry of Transport, be summoned to such a high-level meeting without the Minister for Transport?

“Similarly, why would the Ghana Police Service and Narcotics Control Commission, both under the Ministry of the Interior, be at the meeting without the Minister responsible for the sector?” he asked.



Following the backlash, the Presidency issued a revised invitation that included the Interior and Transport ministers among the attendees.

The Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service was also added to the list, increasing the number of expected participants from 15 to 18.



From Australia to France: Major international drug busts linked to Ghana in recent times

About the cocaine busts:

About the cocaine busts

French customs officers recently seized nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €225 million, equivalent to about US$261.45 million, in a shipment from Ghana.

The seizure was made at the northern French port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026.

The cocaine was concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had originated from Ghana and was reportedly destined, in part, for Antwerp, Belgium.

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the seizure, while the drugs have since been destroyed.

In another case, Australian authorities intercepted about 320kg of methamphetamine in a shipment traced to Ghana.

The drugs were reportedly concealed in bags of charcoal and discovered after authorities scanned two shipping containers at Sydney’s Port Botany.

Australian authorities subsequently arrested a UK national and an Adelaide-based couple over their alleged involvement in the attempted importation.

The arrests followed investigations into the destination of the intercepted drugs, while authorities in Ghana have also made arrests in connection with the shipment.

BAI/MA

“Dubai Sef De Flood” – Man Blasts Authorities Over Laboma Demolition