The growing use of fishermen as a link in the transportation of illicit drugs through Ghana’s coastal waters has become a major concern for the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) in the Central Region.
The commission says some fisherfolk were being lured into the illegal trade because of the financial benefits offered by drug dealers, with some using their fishing expeditions as an opportunity to transport narcotic substances from the high seas into coastal communities.
The Head of Drug Demand Reduction at the Central Regional Command of NACOC, Deputy Superintendent of Narcotic (DSN) Alice Erzah, disclosed this during a media engagement organised by the commission to strengthen collaboration with journalists in the region in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
She explained that NACOC’s investigations and operations had revealed that some drug networks were exploiting fishermen because of their access to the sea.
“Most of the time, they use our fisherfolk. They go to the high seas, pick up the drugs, and when it comes on land, that is where the distribution begins,” she said.
According to her, some fishermen were motivated by financial gains, as drug dealers offered them huge sums of money compared with what they earned from fishing.
She said aside from the coastal routes, traffickers were also using other channels, including courier services, transport systems and individuals within communities to move illicit substances.
DSN. Erzah, however, stressed that the commission’s work was not limited to arrests, but also included educating the public on the dangers associated with drug abuse.
She said NACOC had adopted a “Catch Them Young” approach by focusing on basic and second-cycle schools to prevent young people from falling victim to drug abuse.
The Central Regional Commander of NACOC, Assistant Commissioner of Narcotics, Felix Sarfo-Yeboah, said the drug situation in Ghana had changed significantly over the years, making it necessary for all stakeholders to intensify efforts to address the challenge.
Reflecting on his days as a student, he said drug-related issues were previously seen as distant problems, but the situation had now become a reality within communities, schools and homes.
The Central Regional President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Kingsley Nana Boadu, urged journalists to make drug-related reporting a priority because of the growing impact of substance abuse on society.
He said journalists play a critical role in exposing challenges within communities and educating the public, and stressed that their safety should also be prioritised.
