Head of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC)'s Research Bureau, Dr. Basha Ligbi, has urged the government to reclassify the commission's headquarters as a security zone.

He cites the growing security risks due to private encroachment and nearby high-rise developments.

In a detailed presentation, Dr. Basha highlighted critical setback, including broken body scanners at airport terminals, inadequate office infrastructure, overcrowded detention facilities, and deteriorating vehicles.

He made this known when the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior paid a working visit to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to engage with its leadership and assess operational challenges hampering the fight against illicit drugs.

Director General of NACOC, Brigadier General Maxwell Obiba Mantey, described the escalating drug trade as a national emergency, warning that drug barons now rival armed robbers in threat level and are gaining influence at the highest levels.

He appealed for stronger institutional support and morale-boosting interventions to preserve the integrity of NACOC officers.

Chairman of the Committee and MP for Builsa North, Hon. James Agalga, assured the Commission of the Committee’s commitment to escalate the concerns to Parliament and engage key justice sector stakeholders to fast-track reforms in support of NACOC’s mandate.

NACOC has embarked on several activities to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse, especially among the youth, as well as curb its widespread use.

NACOC has made several interceptions this year. In April, the watchdogs reported a wave of cocaine busts and other drug-related arrests.

June has been the most action-packed month so far, with a major drug incineration exercise on June 20 at Bundase Military Camp, where over 16,000 kilograms of narcotics were destroyed, and a June 24 swoop in Akyem Oda and Akroso that led to 14 arrests and the closure of three illegal chemical stores.

NACOC’s Deputy Director, Lawyer Twum Barimah, in a recent engagement with the media, noted that some kebab sellers, particularly the ones at bars and pubs that operate at pubs, mix cannabis with the meat they serve.

He expressed concern over the alarming increase in drug abuse by the Ghanaian youth population, calling for the implementation of immediate measures, warning that if the trend continues unchecked, Ghana may face a crisis shortly with an unreliable youth population.

“We are witnessing an alarming rate of drug abuse among young people. If we don’t take action now, in the next five years, we may not have dependable youth to lead the nation,” he cautioned.