BY DANIEL BAMPOE
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for urgent and coordinated national action to confront illicit drug trafficking and abuse, warning that the growing threat has become both a serious national security concern and a profound moral crisis.
The call follows the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in France with reported street value of over $261million, reportedly concealed in a container of plastic waste originating from Ghana.
The Bishops said the scale of the seizure raises serious questions about how such a large consignment of narcotics could allegedly move through legitimate commercial channels before being intercepted by French authorities.
In a statement, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference called for thorough investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the shipment and determine how it was able to pass through Ghana’s commercial and border-control systems.
The Bishops stressed that the investigation should not end with the seizure of the cocaine, but should establish the individuals, businesses and networks involved in the shipment and determine how the consignment was prepared, moved and exported.
They called for stronger surveillance and accountability at Ghana’s ports, airports and land borders, arguing that the country’s position as an international trading hub makes effective controls essential in preventing the movement of illicit drugs.
The Conference urged Ghanaian authorities to maintain close cooperation with their French counterparts to establish the full extent of the network allegedly connected to the cocaine seizure.
According to the Bishops, international cooperation will be critical in tracing the shipment beyond the point of interception and identifying the wider network responsible for financing, organising and facilitating the movement of the drugs.
The Catholic Bishops also welcomed the formation of an inter-agency task force by President John Dramani Mahama to address narcotics trafficking through Ghana’s ports, airports and borders.
The Conference said the initiative was important given the complexity of international drug-trafficking networks and the need for multiple state institutions to work together.
The Bishops, however, stressed that the Dunkirk cocaine seizure should not be treated as an isolated incident.
They placed it within what they described as a wider national problem, pointing to several other narcotics interceptions linked to Ghana in recent years.
The Conference said the frequency and scale of such cases warranted a comprehensive national response rather than isolated arrests and seizures.
The Bishops expressed concern over allegations involving public officials and, with regret, some members of the Church.
It said the fight against drug trafficking must apply to anyone who uses a position of public or institutional trust to facilitate the movement of illegal substances.
“The fight must include anyone who abuses public trust to facilitate the movement of illicit substances,” the statement said.
The Bishops’ position places emphasis not only on the individuals physically transporting narcotics but also on people who may use their positions, influence or access to facilitate trafficking operations.
The Conference also called for investigations to move beyond couriers and lower-level operatives to identify the financiers and principal traffickers behind the trade.
It warned against a system in which people caught physically transporting drugs are prosecuted while those who allegedly finance and organise the operations remain beyond the reach of investigators.
“A pattern in which couriers are prosecuted while the networks that finance them escape scrutiny is the failure any credible national response must overcome,” the Bishops stated.
