NACOC Director-General urges journalists to investigate drug trafficking networks in Ghana

The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has challenged journalists to investigate the networks and vulnerabilities that enable drug trafficking rather than focusing mainly on arrests and drug seizures.

He said deeper media investigations into how trafficking networks operate and the gaps they exploit could improve public understanding of the narcotics trade and strengthen efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

The Ashanti Regional Director of NACOC, Rees Hakeem Oduro, delivered the message on behalf of the Director-General at the Ashanti Media Excellence Awards in Kumasi.

He urged journalists to look beyond dramatic headlines and examine the wider issues surrounding narcotics, including institutional responses and measures needed to safeguard communities.

“When the public hears about a drug seizure or an arrest, there is an understandable interest in the immediate facts. But there is also a wider story,” he said.

Major General Mantey encouraged journalists to use their platforms to highlight community concerns, particularly those affecting young people and other vulnerable groups.

He also stressed the need for evidence-based reporting on narcotics cases, warning journalists against presenting allegations as established facts.

The Director-General said NACOC remained committed to constructive engagement with the media to promote public education, accountability and efforts to protect society from the harms associated with illicit drugs.

The remarks were delivered under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Championing Credibility: Journalism in the Age of AI.”