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# 									Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs: Ghana Summary							

Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.

**Challenges:******Ghana remains a transit and destination point for illicit drugs trafficked from Asia and South America to other African nations, Europe, and the United States. Heroin and controlled pharmaceuticals from Asia, as well as cocaine from South America, are smuggled into the country for limited local consumption and onward shipment. Crystal methamphetamine produced in clandestine laboratories in Nigeria also transits the country. Precursor chemicals required to produce crystal methamphetamine are believed to be diverted from Ghanaian sources. Cannabis is also produced in substantial quantities within Ghana, primarily for domestic use but is also trafficked to international markets.Officials report that the illegal importation and abuse of tramadol, a controlled pharmaceutical, is increasingly problematic.

Corruption, insufficient resources, and porous borders seriously impede an effective law enforcement stance against illicit trafficking and transnational organized crime. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) does not have enough State Attorneys to handle the criminal caseload required for justice to be served efficiently or effectively. Cases involving serious crimes can take years to prosecute due to a lack of expertise, over-stretched attorneys, inefficient judicial processes, and the failure of witnesses to appear in court. It is difficult to track arrests, prosecutions, and convictions in Ghana due to weak record-keeping by public institutions. Interagency coordination among law enforcement agencies is also often a challenge.

**Goals:******The United States maintains a strong partnership with Ghana, which boasts multiple peaceful interparty political transitions, a solid record on human rights, an apolitical military, a fast-growing economy, and a free and independent media.  Ghana is also an influential member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union, and Ghana contributes to regional and global stability by providing peacekeeping forces.  Based on the strong partnership, the United States works with Ghana to address the challenges mentioned above and is the largest bilateral provider of development assistance in Ghana.

Specifically, INL aims to disrupt transnational organized crime (including drug trafficking, financial crime, cyber crime, and human trafficking), improve border management and integration, and improve the administration of justice. INL programs support key priorities such as building more accountable governance institutions that respect human rights, and advancing stability, peace, and security. In furtherance of these objectives, INL has supported institutional development across the criminal justice sector.

**Accomplishments:**
        - In partnership with  the  FBI,  INL has  strengthened Ghana’s capability to investigate transnational financial crime.   INL efforts  contributed to : 
        - A j oint review  of  numerous  Ghanaian cases that involved organized crime, embezzlement, fraud, money laundering, business email compromise, and public corruption that represented  more than  $50 million in loss es .   
        - T he restitution of over $4.5 million in fraudulently obtained monies back to American victims  between 2015-2018 .  
        - Increased collaboration of  Ghanaian  law enforcement agencies on financial criminal cases.  
        - A partnership and mentorship of the Ghana Financial Intelligence Center (FIC) and the Economic and  Organised  Crime Office (EOCO), which now results in regular international requests for information from the U.S. and other Egmont member countries. 
        - In partnership with  the  FBI,  INL  trained  the entire Police Cyber Investigative Unit , provided embedded mentors,  and  donated  specialized equipment  to improve Ghanaian  cyber crime  investigations .  
        - In partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice ’s  Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training  from 2015-20 20 ,  INL has assisted in strengthening  Ghana’s Judiciary through forums on judicial ethics, courtroom management, case management, and how to write an opinion , as well as  workshops on standards for bail, other pretrial issues, and extradition .  
        - INL assistance has also  improved the effectiveness of Police-Prosecutors ,  who handle 80  percent  of criminal cases throughout the country ,  by: 
        - Training 485 Police-Prosecutors through classroom lectures, practical exercises, mock trials, and court visits. 
        - Producing and distributing a manual for Police-Prosecutors. 
        - Facilitating meaningful relationships between State Attorneys and the Police-Prosecutors in their region. 
        - Improving the morale and professional pride of Police-Prosecutors. 
        - I n partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection,  INL has  brought together the many border-related Ghanaian agencies to develop an integrated approach to border management.  These efforts have resulted in  a newfound interagency recognition of the mutual value of streamlining border policies, coordinating border operations, and sharing information.  With INL assistance, t he Government of Ghana draft ed  a National Border Security Strategy  in January 2020.  INL has also  trained analysts, provided IT  equipment, and furnished the National Border Fusion Center, which has proven  useful in emerging challenges such as COVID-19 response efforts . 

Tags

CrimeDrugsGhanaLaw EnforcementNarcotics

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