The Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Brig Gen Maxwell Obuba Mantey, has reiterated that the fight against organised crime and illicit drug trafficking requires collective partnership among stakeholders to curb the menace confronting Africa.

According to him, NACOC is committed to continuously partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other relevant stakeholder agencies in the fight against illicit drugs and transnational organised crime.

Brig Gen Mantey made these remarks at the graduation ceremony of NACOC officers at the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia, USA, on Friday, 13th February 2026.

He commended the United States government for support, mainly to invest in building the capacities of NACOC officers over the years.
The intensive training programme brought together selected officers from Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, to strategically train and equipp them with advanced skills in diverse critical areas of their work to handle sensitive assignments related to organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.

The theme for the course, dubbed “Different nations, shared duty, one fight,” was also focused on building participants’ capacity on managing sensitive investigative projects.

Brig Gen Mantey noted that the Sensitive Investigative Unit programme represents a strong partnership built on trust, professionalism, and a shared commitment to confronting organised crime.
“The trainings have also yielded major drug seizures and the disruption of organised trafficking networks. Beyond these outcomes, experience over successive SIU cohorts shows that officers who have served with the SIU return to their home institutions with practical skills, with many going on to assume key leadership roles,” Brig Gen Mantey stressed.

The NACOC boss further admonished graduates to return to their respective home countries with a deeper sense of responsibility, not a sense of entitlement, but to apply what they have learned carefully, professionally, and within the law, even when no one is watching.

“You will be trusted with sensitive work. I expect you to protect that trust. Confidentiality is not optional. Integrity is not situational. One careless act can undo years of progress, not only for you, but for the institutions and partnerships that stand behind you”.
He charged them to be disciplined in their respective operations and humble in how they carry themselves by allowing their results to speak and not seeking attention, as well as refraining from cutting corners.
“I am confident that the knowledge and skills acquired would significantly enhance the operational capacity of participating agencies to disrupt drug trafficking networks and dismantle organised criminal cartels across the region”

Brig Gen Mantey tasked the graduating officers to apply the competencies gained with integrity, professionalism, courage, and a strong sense of responsibility upon returning to their respective countries.

“I urge you to use your acquired expertise to protect communities, to dismantle criminal networks, and to strengthen the rule of law, not to serve personal interests”, he underscored.