The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, commissioned four high-speed Avon Class Patrol Boats for the Ghana Police Service’s Marine Unit at a ceremony held in Tema.
The Turkish-manufactured vessels, acquired through collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Embassy, and the Government of Japan, are aimed at strengthening maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and emergency response along Ghana’s coastline and inland waterways.
The four boats have been named after former Inspectors-General of Police:
– P.V. Ernest Arko (IGP: 1974–1978)
– P.V. B. S. K. Kwakye (IGP: 1978–1979)
– P.V. Paul Tawiah Quaye (IGP: 2009–2013)
– P.V. Mohammed Alhassan (IGP: 2013–2015)
Speaking at the event, Mr Mohammed-Mubarak described the acquisition as a major step towards securing Ghana’s blue economy, which he said was critical for fisheries, tourism, offshore energy, job creation, and poverty reduction.
“For our marine resources to benefit present and future generations, we must manage them responsibly and protect the health of our oceans,” the Minister stated.
He emphasized the Marine Police Unit’s role in combating piracy, smuggling, illegal fishing, and trafficking.
Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, noted that Ghana’s extensive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone made the country vulnerable to maritime crimes, adding that the new vessels would significantly enhance surveillance and rapid response capabilities.
Mr Yohuno thanked the Ministry of the Interior, the Government of President John Dramani Mahama, and international partners for the support, while urging Marine Police personnel to handle the assets with utmost professionalism.
The ceremony was attended by former IGPs including Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan (now a Council of State member), James Oppong-Boanuh, and David Asante-Apeatu; Commodore Solomon Asiedu-Larbi, Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command; and other senior police and security officials.
The IGP also acknowledged ongoing support from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, International Justice Mission (IJM), Ghana Gas, Ghana Maritime Authority, UNODC, and the Lima Group in training and operational assistance, particularly on Lake Volta.