NPP warns members of alleged plot to plant cocaine into travellers’ luggage
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has cautioned its members, supporters and sympathisers travelling through Ghana’s airports and seaports to remain vigilant amid concerns about possible attempts to implicate innocent travellers in drug-related offences.
In a travel advisory signed by its National Vice Chairman, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, the party alleged that individuals linked to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) could attempt to plant prohibited substances, including cocaine, in the luggage of NPP travellers for political purposes.
The NPP claimed that the NDC government was becoming increasingly desperate over public criticism of its handling of narcotics-related cases. It warned that some individuals affiliated with the governing party could seek to implicate innocent NPP members in drug trafficking allegations to create what it described as political equalisation.
The advisory stated that amid growing public scrutiny of the government’s handling of narcotics issues, individuals associated with the NDC might resort to unlawful means to involve NPP members in drug-related offences.
The warning comes against the backdrop of several major drug seizures abroad involving consignments reportedly originating from Ghana, raising concerns about the country’s cargo screening and export procedures.
The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, when Spanish authorities intercepted 2.6 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a shipment of coconuts from Ghana. Two suspects were arrested after investigators traced the consignment from the port of Valencia to a warehouse in Almería.
Following these developments, the NPP urged its members travelling through Ghana’s airports and seaports to take additional precautions to protect their belongings and avoid circumstances that could expose them to drug-related accusations.
The party specifically advised travellers to ensure their luggage was properly secured, maintain personal control over their belongings and refrain from accepting parcels or packages from unidentified individuals, particularly items intended for delivery to third parties.
It also encouraged travellers to be watchful for suspicious interference with their luggage and, where possible, record videos showing their bags and the process of packing their belongings.
Additionally, the party asked travellers to personally inspect their luggage and its contents before leaving for the airport, before checking in their bags and whenever the luggage is returned to their possession.
The advisory further urged members to keep their luggage tags and other relevant travel documents, preserve evidence of any suspicious incidents and immediately notify airport security personnel or the appropriate authorities if they observe anything unusual.
Emphasising the importance of caution, the party urged its members to remain alert, protect their personal belongings and travel responsibly.
However, the NPP’s allegations of possible attempts to plant narcotics in the luggage of its members were not supported by evidence in the advisory.
About The Author
