The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has warned that ongoing conflicts in major global shipping routes could create new opportunities for maritime crime in West Africa. The authority is calling for tighter port security, better sea surveillance and closer cooperation among maritime security agencies.
In its Maritime Security Information analysis , the GMA examined attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea while also assessing growing security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea.
The report warned that the diversion of naval resources to other conflict zones could leave parts of West Africa more exposed to piracy, fuel smuggling, drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
The GMA also noted a shift in maritime crime across the Gulf of Guinea. Criminal networks are increasingly using coastal routes and ports to move fuel, drugs and gold, while possible links between Sahel-based armed groups and coastal criminal networks are creating new security concerns.
The report said security agencies need to track suspicious cargo, share intelligence and examine connections between criminal activities at sea and those taking place on land. The interception of an illegal fuel bunkering operation near Takoradi also highlights the need for closer monitoring of vessel movements and cargo activities.
The GMA called for closer coordination between maritime security, intelligence, customs and law enforcement agencies. It also highlighted Ghana’s participation in the Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea as part of its wider maritime security efforts.
Ghana continues to work with Denmark, Spain and Italy on maritime security. These partnerships support training, surveillance, patrols and other areas of maritime operations.
The GMA recommended better maritime domain awareness, more regional counter-piracy operations, stronger cybersecurity and tighter controls over port and cargo activities. It also called for risk-based inspections of vessels and containers linked to high-risk trade routes, particularly those carrying fuel, gold and agricultural products.
The authority further urged the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division, Marine Police, National Intelligence Bureau and Ghana Navy to share intelligence more closely and carry out coordinated inspections of suspicious consignments to help tackle smuggling and trafficking.
source: GMA
