The government has sounded a major national security alarm, disclosing that over 100 unauthorised entry points have been mapped out in the Volta Region alone.

The revelation underscores the deepening challenge the state faces in policing Ghana’s vast, porous frontiers against transnational organised crime and illicit trafficking.

The Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, disclosed these startling figures during his appearance before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

The disclosure highlights the sheer scale of the logistical nightmare facing security services, which are currently tasked with manning a finite number of official border posts while contending with a sprawling web of unregulated crossings.

While Ghana operates 48 legitimate border crossing points, the proliferation of unofficial routes has created a structural vulnerability that criminal networks are increasingly exploiting.

“We have 48 legitimate crossing points into our country,” Mr Mubarak said, adding, “But the illegitimate ones, because of the time, to make sure that we secure our borders. We are shocked to realise that the last time I was in the Volta Region alone, we’ve identified 102 unapproved routes.”

The Minister noted that the situation is not unique to the Volta Region. The threat landscape remains critical across several other frontier regions, including the Upper East, Upper West, Bono, and Western regions, all of which share long, undulating borders with neighbouring countries.

According to the Minister, the primary danger of leaving these routes unchecked is the risk of Ghana evolving into a strategic transit hub for international criminal syndicates. By bypassing official immigration and customs checkpoints, these networks can move prohibited goods, such as narcotics and contraband, deep into the country without detection.

“If we don’t focus on trying to secure even these unapproved routes, what is going to simply happen is that we’ll become a transit point; they can use us as a transit point,” the Minister warned.

In response to the vulnerability of the frontiers, the government has adopted a strategy of layered security, deploying inland checkpoints to intercept smugglers who manage to slip past the border. The Minister disclosed that there are currently 63 such inland checkpoints operational across the country.

While he acknowledged public frustration regarding the high number of checkpoints and the potential for travel delays, he defended their existence as vital tools for intelligence gathering.

“As we speak, we have about 63 inland checkpoints,” he stated.

Addressing the personnel manning these posts, Mr Mubarak urged for a more professional approach, insisting that security operations must prioritise intelligence-led techniques to reduce inconvenience to the travelling public. Furthermore, the Minister emphasised that technology and personnel alone are insufficient; he called for stronger cooperation from border communities, urging citizens to become the "eyes and ears" of the security agencies by reporting suspicious movements.