The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has announced the arrest of an alleged kingpin and two other suspects believed to be behind an international drug trafficking network that attempted to smuggle 320 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at approximately US$296 million, to Australia.
The arrests followed a three-month intelligence-driven investigation launched after the Australian Federal Police intercepted the consignment, which had been concealed in charcoal bags at Port Botany in Sydney.
NACOC disclosed that the alleged mastermind was arrested in Ghana earlier this week, while the two accomplices were taken into custody on June 25. The announcement was made by the Commission’s Director-General, Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, during Ghana’s observance of the 2026 World Drug Day at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Speaking under the global theme, “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses,” Brig. Gen. Mantey reiterated NACOC’s resolve to combat drug trafficking and dismantle criminal networks operating across borders.
“It is only God and the courts that can free you,” he warned drug traffickers, emphasizing that NACOC would continue pursuing offenders relentlessly.
The Director-General described the arrests as a significant achievement in the country’s efforts to tackle transnational organised crime and said the Commission would further strengthen cooperation with international law enforcement partners to disrupt global drug trafficking networks.
In addition to the recent drug seizure and arrests, Brig. Gen. Mantey highlighted a number of key accomplishments recorded by the Commission over the past year.
