NACOC: DRUG TRAFFICKERS USING SCANNERS, INSIDERS TO EVADE DETECTION

According to Major General Obuba Mantey, there has been some concerns raised about security lapses at Ghana’s airport, revealing that drug traffickers are finding ways to outwit screening procedures, including acquiring their own scanners. Speaking when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) to respond to audit findings by the Auditor General, Major General Mantey described how some airport security personnel allegedly exploit their positions to bypass established screening procedures, creating opportunities for suspected traffickers to evade detection. He cited an incident involving a supervisory security officer who allegedly entered an airport with a bag and bypassed the screening point despite being subject to security checks. According to him, the officer proceeded to a washroom, where he changed with the bag reportedly used by a traveller, before continuing towards a flight. He also mentioned an investigation they were undertaking where somebody, a trafficker, had bought his own scanner to try and see whether when drugs are scanned, there will be images. Brigadier General Mantey did not identify the said individual. The hearing also examined security measures to prevent drug trafficking through Ghana’s entry points. Security measures The Interior Minister, Mr Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, told the committee that weaknesses in screening procedures could be exploited when security officers compromised established controls. He said the government was working to improve the use of technology and intelligence-sharing among security agencies to reduce reliance on manual inspections. Credit: graphic.com.gh