By Issah Olegor
Questions are emerging over Ghana’s handling of the escalating drug-trafficking crisis after Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak disclosed that some foreign security partners have become hesitant to share sensitive intelligence with Ghana because of concerns that information could be compromised.
Muntaka specifically referenced France and Australia, saying concerns over possible leaks from within Ghana’s security architecture were affecting intelligence cooperation.
“Now, we have one with France, the same,” he said, in remarks that have raised questions about the level of confidence foreign partners have in Ghana’s security institutions.
The disclosure comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Ghana, following the seizure in France of nearly four tonnes of suspected cocaine linked to a shipment originating from Ghana. The case has triggered arrests and investigations in both countries and intensified scrutiny of Ghana’s role in international drug trafficking networks.
Yet, while the Interior Minister has raised concerns about intelligence-sharing with foreign partners, Majority Leader James Agalga has sought to project a stronger picture of Ghana’s capacity to confront the drug trade.
Agalga has pointed to measures including improved detection systems, increased use of technology and the establishment of a dedicated court as evidence of strengthened efforts against narcotics trafficking. He has also stressed the need for closer coordination and intelligence-sharing among Ghanaian security agencies, warning traffickers that they will be “on the run.”
The two positions raise an important question about the government’s security strategy.
If foreign partners are reluctant to share sensitive intelligence because they fear it could reach criminal networks through insiders, then improving intelligence coordination within Ghana alone may not address the central problem.
The issue is particularly significant because international drug trafficking depends heavily on intelligence-sharing between countries. Information about suspected shipments, routes, individuals and criminal networks often has to move across borders before authorities can intercept consignments.
The National Commission for Civic Education and other institutions have previously emphasised the importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational crime. NACOC, which has responsibility for coordinating Ghana’s response to narcotics-related issues, has likewise maintained the importance of collaboration with international partners.
The French cocaine seizure has therefore placed renewed attention on the security chain through which information moves—from foreign intelligence services to Ghanaian agencies, and between Ghana’s own security institutions.
Muntaka’s disclosure raises questions about whether Ghana’s partners are withholding information because of specific security concerns, while Agalga’s comments suggest that the government believes the country’s enforcement machinery is being strengthened.
Neither position necessarily excludes the other, but the government has yet to publicly explain how the concerns about foreign intelligence-sharing fit into its broader strategy.
The stakes are high
The French seizure involved a cocaine consignment weighing almost four tonnes, highlighting the scale of the networks operating across Ghana’s borders and international supply routes. Investigations in Ghana have already resulted in arrests, while authorities continue to establish how the consignment moved through the country and whether any officials or insiders facilitated its movement.
The central issue is therefore not simply whether Ghana has new technology, specialised courts or stronger enforcement mechanisms. It is also whether international partners have sufficient confidence in Ghana’s institutions to provide the intelligence necessary to make those systems effective.
For now, Muntaka has raised concerns about the confidence of foreign security partners, while James Agalga has emphasised the government’s strengthened response.
