Ghana’s fight against illicit drug trafficking has taken a major financial turn after authorities disclosed that more than GH¢6.9 million and US$440,000 in cash and assets linked to suspected drug-related activities have been restrained.
The revelation was made in Parliament by Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, who highlighted the growing efforts of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to target not only illegal drugs but also the money and assets allegedly generated through the trade.
According to figures presented to Parliament, NACOC intensified its financial investigations throughout 2025, recovering 73 tainted assets and seizing more than 19 kilograms of gold allegedly connected to suspected drug money laundering.
Authorities also restrained cash and assets valued at more than GH¢6.9 million and US$440,000, marking a significant push to disrupt the financial networks believed to support narcotics trafficking.
The financial crackdown comes amid a broader campaign against Ghana’s growing drug problem.
NACOC recorded 217 arrests in 2025, representing a 197 percent increase, while initiating 165 drug-related prosecutions. The Commission also seized approximately 8.5 tonnes of assorted narcotic substances during the year.
Muntaka warned that Ghana can no longer be viewed solely as a transit point for illegal drugs, saying the country is increasingly facing domestic consumption challenges alongside international trafficking threats. He pointed to cannabis, synthetic opioids and other substances as growing concerns, particularly among young people.
Despite the enforcement successes, the Interior Minister acknowledged that NACOC continues to face major resource constraints. The agency currently has an operational presence in only 66 of Ghana’s 261 districts, leaving significant areas without dedicated narcotics enforcement offices.
Government says additional support is being provided through vehicles, office facilities and reforms aimed at strengthening investigations and prosecutions.
The latest figures send a strong warning to suspected trafficking networks: Ghanaian authorities are increasingly following the money as aggressively as they pursue the drugs.
With millions of cedis, hundreds of thousands of dollars, gold and other assets now restrained, the battle against narcotics trafficking is moving beyond seizures at borders and into the financial lifelines that allegedly keep the illicit trade alive.
