Narcotics Control Board (Ghana)
Encyclopedia
The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) is a Ghana
nian agency under the Ministry of Interior
. It is the agency concerned with the formulation and enforcement of narcotics laws in the country. The board's work is aimed at preventing the use, import, and export of narcotics.
The board regularly has inspectorates at various entry points of the country, particularly airports and seaports. Regular sweeps are done on marine vessels and on passengers at airports as security checks. During these inspections, if any suspected narcotic product(s) is found, the board confiscates them and runs tests to ascertain the kind of substance it is. The culprits are then arraigned before law courts for their cases to be tried. The narcotic product confiscated is then burned to prevent redistribution of the product. One such burning was done in June 2010 when the board destroyed 167 kilograms of seized cocaine at the Teshie
Shooting Range in Accra
.
In 2009, NACOB announced a one-year campaign "to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of illicit drugs on the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of the country and its security." The campaign's theme was "Do Drugs Control Your Life?", and it featured movie screenings, TV and radio discussions, and competitions for paintings and essays. The campaign was targeted primarily at high-school juniors and seniors.
by the UK government. This collaboration has led to the interception of illicit drugs worth 214 million
British pounds since its inception.
on the illicit drug trade. The result of these has led to the reduction in the illicit drug trade. One of the board's successes came in 2004 when the Customs Office of the United Kingdom commended the board for seizing 42 kilograms of cocaine
concealed in sacks of rice imported from Guyana at Tema
Port in two 20-foot containers in September 2003.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
nian agency under the Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Interior (Ghana)
The Ministry of the Interior is a ministry of the government of Ghana mandated to ensure internal security, as well as the maintenance of law and order in the country...
. It is the agency concerned with the formulation and enforcement of narcotics laws in the country. The board's work is aimed at preventing the use, import, and export of narcotics.
Functions
The agency has three main functions, supervised by the Interior Ministry. The functions consist of the following:- Enforcement and control of narcotic control laws in the country
- Education and prevention of the use of narcotics
- Treatment, rehabilitationDrug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
and social re-integration of narcotic addicts.
The board regularly has inspectorates at various entry points of the country, particularly airports and seaports. Regular sweeps are done on marine vessels and on passengers at airports as security checks. During these inspections, if any suspected narcotic product(s) is found, the board confiscates them and runs tests to ascertain the kind of substance it is. The culprits are then arraigned before law courts for their cases to be tried. The narcotic product confiscated is then burned to prevent redistribution of the product. One such burning was done in June 2010 when the board destroyed 167 kilograms of seized cocaine at the Teshie
Teshie
Teshie is a city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Fort Augustaborg, built by the Danes in 1787, is located in Teshie and was occupied by the British from 1850 to 1957. The national Officer Cadet Training School and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre are also located here...
Shooting Range in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.
In 2009, NACOB announced a one-year campaign "to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of illicit drugs on the economic, social, political and cultural aspects of the country and its security." The campaign's theme was "Do Drugs Control Your Life?", and it featured movie screenings, TV and radio discussions, and competitions for paintings and essays. The campaign was targeted primarily at high-school juniors and seniors.
Collaborations with other agencies
NACOB forms partnerships with other agencies both in and outside of Ghana. One such collaboration led to the formation of the Operation West Bridge project in 2007, which was introduced at Ghana’s Kotoka International AirportKotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, is the country's premier international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-800...
by the UK government. This collaboration has led to the interception of illicit drugs worth 214 million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
British pounds since its inception.
Successes
NACOB in combating narcotic drugs trafficking organizes training programmes for its staff and gathers intelligenceIntelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
on the illicit drug trade. The result of these has led to the reduction in the illicit drug trade. One of the board's successes came in 2004 when the Customs Office of the United Kingdom commended the board for seizing 42 kilograms of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
concealed in sacks of rice imported from Guyana at Tema
Tema
Tema is a city on the Atlantic coast of Ghana, lying east of the Ghanaian capital city, Accra, in the region of Greater Accra. As of 2005, Tema had a population of 209,000. The Greenwich Meridian passes directly through the city...
Port in two 20-foot containers in September 2003.