In a press statement issued on Monday, September 21, 2026, the Bishops described the drug menace as a serious national concern and a moral crisis requiring more than a routine criminal justice response.

The statement follows the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French customs authorities at Dunkirk on September 10, 2026, in a container of plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana.

The Bishops urged government to strengthen cooperation among the Police Service, Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Customs, port authorities, the judiciary and schools to combat drug trafficking.

They also called for stronger surveillance at Ghana’s ports, airports and borders, as well as increased cooperation with INTERPOL and Europol to investigate transnational drug networks.

The Conference further urged authorities to “follow the money” by identifying the financiers, businesses and financial arrangements supporting the illicit drug trade.

Beyond enforcement, the Bishops called for stronger drug-prevention education, rehabilitation and treatment programmes, particularly for young people.

They appealed to families, schools, churches and youth organisations to intensify mentorship and support for people struggling with drug abuse.

The Bishops also welcomed Parliament’s oversight role and called for the proposed parliamentary sitting on the country’s narcotics-control systems to proceed without delay and without partisan point-scoring.

The statement was signed by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

The Bishops concluded by urging Ghanaians to choose “life over destruction, integrity over corruption, and the common good over illicit wealth.”