Fishermen becoming conduit for drug trafficking - NACOC warns

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in Ghana's Central Region has raised concerns about the growing use of fishermen as conduits for drug trafficking along the country's coast.

NACOC officials revealed that drug networks are exploiting fishermen's access to the sea, using their fishing expeditions to smuggle narcotics from international waters into local communities. Deputy Superintendent of Narcotic Alice Erzah explained that these fishermen are often motivated by substantial financial rewards offered by drug dealers, which far exceed their earnings from fishing.

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Most of the time, they use our fisherfolk. They go to the high seas, pick up the drugs, and when it comes on land, that is where the distribution begins.

Beyond coastal routes, traffickers are employing various other methods, including courier services, transportation systems, and community-based individuals to distribute illicit substances. Erzah emphasized that NACOC's efforts extend beyond arrests to public education on the dangers of drug abuse, with a particular focus on a "Catch Them Young" initiative targeting basic and second-cycle schools.

Assistant Commissioner of Narcotics Felix Sarfo-Yeboah noted a significant shift in Ghana's drug landscape, urging intensified stakeholder collaboration. He recalled a time when drug issues seemed distant, but now they permeate communities, schools, and homes. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) President for the Central Region, Kingsley Nana Boadu, called on journalists to prioritize reporting on drug-related issues due to their societal impact, stressing the importance of both public education and journalist safety.

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The situation had now become a reality within communities, schools and homes.