Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested and detained two officials of the Energy Commission as part of an investigation into a shipment of charcoal allegedly found to have been infused with methamphetamine before being intercepted by Australian authorities, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Investigators believe the two officials may have information relevant to the approval process and the circumstances surrounding the export, prompting their detention for questioning, the sources said.
The identities of the two officials were not immediately available. However, they are understood to be members of the Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy Unit stationed at the Port of Tema.
The Executive Secretary of the Energy Commission, Adwoa Serwaa Bondzie, confirmed the arrests to staff and urged them to remain calm, according to an internal communication seen by this publication.
The Energy Commission is Ghana’s technical regulator for the electricity and natural gas sectors and is responsible for issuing licences for charcoal exports.
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The investigation is part of a broader effort by NACOC to identify those behind the suspected international drug trafficking operation and determine whether export procedures were properly followed or compromised.
Australian authorities have not publicly disclosed further details about the seizure, and NACOC has yet to announce any formal charges against the detained officials.
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