The United States has begun training elite anti-drugs police squads in Ghana. The training follows reports of increased use of Ghana as transit point for the trafficking of drugs. The training programme is being spearheaded by the US Drug Enforcement Administration or DEA. The agency told the UK based Telegraph newspaper that the American authorities are concerned that traffickers are seeking alternative routes after crackdowns in countries such as Mexico and Spain. It said the move will help check the rising flows of drugs through Africa to Europe. An estimated 50 tons of cocaine are trafficked through West Africa annually, while significant volumes of heroin are also believed to be in transit. The traffickers are said to be taking advantage of weak governance, poor surveillance and under-developed border controls. The DEA is planning similar training programmes for police in Nigeria and Kenya.