The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has expressed concern over a growing practice where some members of the public demand financial incentives before providing information on suspected narcotics-related activities.
He said although public intelligence remains a vital tool in the fight against drug trafficking, some individuals are increasingly attaching monetary conditions to the information they provide to security agencies.
Major General Mantey made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, following heightened concerns over Ghana’s involvement in international drug trafficking networks after the seizure of 320 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a charcoal shipment from Ghana and intercepted in Australia.
He explained that drug traffickers continue to adopt sophisticated methods to evade detection, making cooperation between NACOC and the public critical to disrupting their operations.
“Each day, the traffickers evolve new strategies and try to go ahead of us. They connect, and they cooperate among themselves as to how to outwit them,” he said.
The NACOC boss noted that intelligence from citizens forms a major part of the Commission’s operations but expressed concern that some informants now expect payment before sharing information.
“But as my minister said, we base most of our measures on intelligence. The only thing is that Ghanaians now have become a bit demanding, so when they send you intelligence, they demand money,” he stated.
He cited an instance where an individual approached him seeking a major personal benefit in exchange for providing information to assist in fighting drug-related activities.
“There was a time somebody came to me and said, if I could build him a house, he would help me do a lot. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do that,” Major General Mantey recounted.
Despite these challenges, he assured Parliament that NACOC remains committed to strengthening collaboration with citizens, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to combat narcotics trafficking.
He said the Commission will continue to rely on intelligence-led operations as traffickers constantly modify their methods and expand their networks.
The comments come at a time when Ghana’s security agencies are intensifying efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking operations following a number of recent narcotics-related cases involving shipments linked to the country.
Authorities have consistently urged citizens to provide credible information to support anti-drug operations, with the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, previously emphasising the importance of public intelligence in successful drug interceptions.
Major General Mantey stressed that sustained cooperation between NACOC and the public remains essential to preventing Ghana from becoming a major transit route for international narcotics networks.
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