Majority Leader James Agalga says Ghana should expect more arrests and prosecutions as law enforcement agencies intensify efforts to combat drug trafficking.

His comments come in the wake of the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine by French Customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10.

The consignment, which was concealed in a container declared as carrying plastic waste, had originated from Ghana and was estimated to have a street value of approximately €225 million.

Addressing the media, Mr Agalga said the government has introduced a number of measures to strengthen the country’s fight against narcotics, including improved detection capabilities, the increased use of technology and the establishment of a dedicated court to handle drug-related cases.

“With increased detection capabilities, the drug traffickers definitely are going to be on the run,” Mr Agalga said.

He explained that the enhanced measures would enable law enforcement agencies to detect suspected drug trafficking activities more effectively and ensure that offenders are arrested and prosecuted promptly.

“It will be detected, it will be detected, it will be arrested and prosecuted in a timely manner because we even now have a dedicated court,” he said.

Mr Agalga also highlighted the importance of collaboration between Ghanaian law enforcement agencies and their counterparts in other countries in the fight against international drug trafficking.

“So make no mistake. If you are able to penetrate the border with narcotic substances, remember that our drug law enforcement agency is also in cahoots with its counterparts in foreign jurisdictions,” he said.

He said such international cooperation could help authorities track entire trafficking networks rather than focusing only on individuals caught transporting narcotics.

“Sometimes they will deliberately allow you to leave with your catch of narcotics substances, the border control delivery, so that the entire network can be locked,” Mr Agalga explained.

The Majority Leader said the measures being implemented were already contributing to progress in the fight against drugs and expressed confidence that the results would become more visible in the coming months.

He pointed to the establishment of a specialised court as an important development that would support the timely prosecution of narcotics-related cases.

Mr Agalga further defended the role of Parliament in dealing with matters involving ongoing criminal investigations, stressing that the legislature’s responsibility was primarily to exercise oversight.

“Parliament is not criminal investigations. Normally what happens is that we exercise oversight,” he said.

He explained that where there were concerns about the conduct of an investigation, Parliament could invite the relevant law enforcement agencies to appear before the appropriate committee and provide answers.

He, however, cautioned against parallel investigations while law enforcement agencies were still conducting their work, saying this could potentially lead to different conclusions on the same matter.

“When the matters are at the table, we shall debate them. And you will see the wisdom in the arguments we will come back in relation to these matters,” Mr Agalga said.

He also expressed confidence that the interventions being undertaken by the government would result in significant changes before President John Dramani Mahama completes his mandate.

“By the time President Mahama would have served the mandate given to him to the fullest, you will see a lot of change. We are already seeing changes,” he said.