Ghana’s crackdown on narcotics is now extending beyond drug seizures to the money and assets linked to the illegal trade, with authorities targeting cash, gold and other property suspected to be proceeds of drug trafficking.
Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak said at the Government Accountability Series that authorities recorded 217 arrests and initiated 165 prosecutions, while intercepting more than 8.5 tonnes of narcotic drugs and 45.4 million Tramadol tablets.
More significant for the business community, however, was the financial trail uncovered alongside the enforcement operations. Authorities recovered 73 tainted assets, seized more than 19 kilogrammes of gold in suspected drug-money laundering cases, and restrained more than GH¢6.9 million and US$440,000 in cash and assets.
“Our campaign is not just against those using these illicit substances, but also those bringing them in. In less than two years, we’ve recovered 73 tainted assets. Once we get the intelligence, we seize their assets while prosecution goes on,” Mubarak said.
The figures show that Ghana’s response is targeting the financial infrastructure supporting organised drug trafficking rather than focusing solely on the physical movement of narcotics.
Ghana’s 2024 National Anti-Money Laundering Risk Assessment identified drug trafficking as a predicate offence contributing to the country’s money-laundering threat, while highlighting vulnerabilities in the financial and real estate sectors. The assessment also identified weaknesses around due diligence and source-of-funds checks in parts of the real estate market.
The gold seizures also highlight the money-laundering risks within Ghana’s lucrative precious metals trade, which remains a major source of export earnings. The Minerals Commission has classified the mining sector as medium-high risk for money laundering and introduced compliance guidelines for dealers in precious metals and stones.
The enforcement push also comes as the Narcotics Control Commission expands its operational footprint. The Commission said drug-related arrests increased by 197% in 2025, while its district commands were expanded across all 16 regions.
Banks, gold dealers, real estate firms and other regulated businesses will face greater pressure to strengthen customer due diligence, beneficial ownership checks and source-of-funds verification, particularly for high-value transactions.
Ghana’s anti-money-laundering framework requires financial and other regulated businesses to identify and verify customers to prevent the financial system from being used for illicit activity.
