The Netherlands government has donated two state-of-the-art advanced airport passenger scanners to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to strengthen Ghana’s fight against drug trafficking.

The new equipment: a full-body security scanner and a baggage scanner, described as intrusive scanners, provides deeper and more advanced screening capabilities than the current systems in use.

Mr Fort Van Osteen, Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands, said this donation reflected the Netherlands’ strong commitment to supporting Ghana’s efforts to strengthen border security and combat transnational drug trafficking.

He said Ghana and the Netherlands have a longstanding partnership rooted in cooperation, shared responsibility, and mutual respect.

“We fully recognise the challenges that agencies like NACOC face as criminal networks become more sophisticated.”

“It is for this reason that we believe investments in modern technology, such as these scanners, are essential to reinforcing the integrity of airport operations and safeguarding the travelling public,” he added.

He said the Netherlands remained committed to deepening collaboration with Ghana in the areas of security, justice, and capacity building, looking forward to continued partnership as they pursued their shared goal of making societies safer and more resilient.

Mr. Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, Minister for Interior, said the scanners currently in use at the airport were designed to detect items carried by passengers and trigger an alert when prohibited objects were identified.

He added that the newly supplied scanners offered far more advanced capabilities, which were classified as intrusive scanners, and provided a deeper, more comprehensive level of screening than the existing systems.

“Previously, the airport operated an intrusive scanner managed by NACOC, but that equipment had become outdated. It therefore became necessary to acquire modern scanners with enhanced functionality to strengthen our fight against drug trafficking through the country’s ports,” he stressed.

Mr. Mubarak acknowledged the significant challenges in this area and expressed appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for this vital support.

He assured that the equipment would be effectively utilized and properly maintained.

“We are also committed to training the right caliber of personnel to operate the system efficiently. With this assistance, we are confident that we can significantly reduce the use of our ports as channels for the illegal transportation of drugs,” he said.

Brigadier General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of NACOC, on behalf of the Commission, thanked the Netherlands government for the kind gesture.

He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to the fight against illegal trafficking.