Security analyst Richard Kumadoe has rejected suggestions that the seizure of a US$261 million cocaine shipment in France indicates that Ghana is losing the fight against illicit drugs.
Mr Kumadoe argued that increased arrests, drug seizures and criminal investigations could instead demonstrate stronger enforcement activity against organised drug networks.
He explained that the effectiveness of law enforcement should be assessed using three key indicators, namely the number of arrests made, the value of assets or drugs recovered for the state and the number of prosecutions secured.
According to the security analyst, Ghana still faces gaps in prosecuting suspects and confiscating assets allegedly acquired through criminal activity. Nonetheless, he maintained that security agencies had performed strongly in several areas of drug enforcement.
He cited the destruction of 9.6 tonnes of narcotics by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in June 2026 as an indication of the scale of enforcement operations. This, he noted, should be considered alongside the 2.7 tonnes of cocaine that reportedly reached Australia during the same month.
Mr Kumadoe also disclosed that security agencies have made 122 arrests between January and the period under review. He argued that such figures provide an important basis for evaluating the work of law enforcement agencies.
“Anytime you see law enforcement officers being aggressive on criminals, you will see a lot of publications and you will see a lot of arrests. That is one way of measuring their effectiveness, but not because they are losing the fight.”
Richard Kumadoe
Furthermore, the security analyst linked the recent enforcement activity to a nationwide risk assessment conducted between June and July. The assessment covered drug-related occurrences, financial crime and illegal mining, providing security agencies with an opportunity to identify emerging threats.
He indicated that the meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and the security chiefs should therefore be viewed as an assessment of ongoing operations. The engagement, he explained, would allow the agencies to present their achievements, operational difficulties and resource requirements.
Mr Kumadoe cautioned against interpreting high-profile drug seizures as evidence that Ghana had become a cocaine hub. In his view, increased international reporting can accompany intensified enforcement because criminal networks become more visible when agencies begin disrupting their activities.
Security Agencies Need More Resources To Track Drug Networks
Security analyst Richard Kumadoe also called for increased resources for security agencies to strengthen surveillance and intelligence operations against sophisticated international drug trafficking networks.
Mr Kumadoe explained that organised drug trafficking is highly complex, with criminal networks constantly adapting their routes and methods to evade law enforcement.
He noted that intelligence sharing between Ghanaian security institutions and international partners had become critical in tracking suspects whose activities span several countries. Such collaboration, he indicated, was instrumental in the investigations surrounding the cocaine shipment seized in France.
The security analyst disclosed that some investigations deliberately allow suspects to proceed with criminal activities under surveillance so that investigators can establish stronger evidence against them. He explained that authorities may sometimes monitor a planned operation and intervene after sufficient evidence has been gathered to establish the involvement of specific individuals.
“The very gentleman in Sierra Leone has been on the notice board across West Africa for a very long time. With sharing intelligence with the global networks, they actually wanted him to commit the crime.”
Richard Kumadoe
Mr Kumadoe also revealed that security agencies have identified changes in trafficking routes following their nationwide risk assessment. He indicated that operations have subsequently been adjusted to respond to the methods being adopted by drug trafficking groups.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation in disrupting both narcotics consignments and the individuals facilitating their movement. According to him, enforcement efforts must target the drugs as well as the personalities and networks involved in trafficking.
The security analyst also dismissed suggestions that the President’s planned meeting with security chiefs is an indication of a national security crisis. He explained that several institutions not publicly listed for the engagement would nevertheless have a role because of their responsibilities across national security, airports and sovereignty.
He pointed to the National Security Coordinator, the Minister for National Security, Immigration Service and Chief of Defence Staff as institutions whose responsibilities would naturally intersect with the issues under discussion. Therefore, he argued that the engagement should be understood as a strategic assessment of national security operations.
Mr Kumadoe disclosed that operational transfers within security institutions also form part of standard security management. He explained that officers are not expected to remain in sensitive operational positions indefinitely because prolonged postings can increase the risk of compromise.
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