Accra — "The seizure in France of a large shipment of cocaine from Ghana must not be treated as an isolated incident, but as part of a wider problem," the Bishops of Ghana said following the seizure by French customs authorities on 10 September of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated value of €225 million (approximately US$261.45 million). The drugs were hidden inside a container carrying plastic waste, which had arrived at the northern French port of Dunkirk from Ghana.

"This seizure is one episode within a wider problem. Ghana's geographical position and participation in international trade make vigilance at our ports, airports and borders especially important," said the statement signed by Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC).

Ghana is not only a transit country used by drug traffickers, but has also become a country where drugs are consumed. "We are equally troubled by the domestic face of this menace: drug abuse among young people, the corrosive effect of drug money on our institutions, and the temptation it poses to persons in positions of trust, whether in commerce, the security services or, we say with sorrow, within the Church herself," the Bishops said.

After appealing to the authorities to step up the fight against drug trafficking and help people struggling with drug addiction to escape their "ordeal", the GCBC stressed that "this battle cannot be left to the Government alone".

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"We call upon Catholic parishes, schools and youth organisations to intensify drug-prevention education, mentorship and pastoral accompaniment, and urge priests, consecrated persons, catechists and lay leaders to address the issue courageously in their preaching and catechesis," the statement continued.

Addressing young people directly, the Bishops concluded with an appeal: "Do not be deceived by the temporary gains promised by the drug trade. Choose life. Build your future upon honest work, faith, education, virtue and service. Your dignity is beyond price, and the Church stands ready to accompany you."