By Our Democracy News GH
October 20, 2026
Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak has acknowledged that some security officers responsible for protecting Ghana’s borders compromise security procedures and allegedly facilitate drug trafficking, prompting plans for tighter screening and improved airport surveillance.
Speaking at a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the minister disclosed a case involving an airport security supervisor who allegedly exploited his position to help a traveller move suspected drugs through an alternative route, bypassing normal screening procedures.
According to Mr Muntaka, the officer allegedly used a staff entrance to avoid the usual security checks, carried a bag linked to the operation through the airport and handed it over to assist a suspected drug trafficker.
The minister said authorities were introducing additional screening measures, including the deployment of sniffer dogs before passengers check in and again before boarding flights.
He acknowledged that the extra checks could delay passengers by between 15 and 30 minutes but maintained that the measures were necessary to strengthen efforts to prevent narcotics trafficking.
Mr Muntaka also disclosed that Ghana currently has one scanner at the airport and is seeking to acquire a second to improve the detection of illicit substances.
He said authorities were strengthening the use of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems to improve passenger monitoring, intelligence gathering and information-sharing among security agencies.
The measures, he explained, are intended to reduce reliance on individual officers and make it more difficult for personnel to exploit weaknesses in airport security.
Ghana seeks international cooperation
The minister’s remarks followed questions about how a drug shipment reportedly valued at €225 million, alongside another amount reported at two million rand, passed through the security system undetected.
On cooperation with French authorities, Mr Muntaka said Ghana had initiated mutual legal assistance procedures through the Attorney-General’s Office following the incident. He added that France had also requested cooperation.
He said Ghana was strengthening collaboration with international partners, including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, to improve intelligence-sharing and tackle drug trafficking networks.
Mr Muntaka assured the committee that the government was working to address security gaps through improved technology, tighter procedures and stronger coordination among law enforcement agencies.
Narcotics traffickers adopting sophisticated methods
Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission, Brigadier General Maxwel O. Mantey, told the committee that drug traffickers were becoming increasingly sophisticated and continuously adapting their methods to exploit weaknesses in security systems.
He cited an investigation in which a suspected trafficker had allegedly acquired a scanner to test how suspected drugs appeared during screening.
Brigadier General Mantey said international cooperation had helped strengthen Ghana’s capacity to combat narcotics trafficking, including through the provision of forensic laboratory equipment.
The disclosures have renewed attention on airport security procedures, the role of personnel entrusted with enforcing them and the measures needed to prevent illicit substances from passing through Ghana’s borders undetected.
