Muntaka Mubarak, the Minister of the Interior, has announced that government is adopting intelligence-led border monitoring systems to prevent Ghana from being used as a transit point for narcotic drugs.

Appearing before Parliament’s Assurances Committee during a public hearing on Tuesday, the Minister explained that although Ghana has 48 legitimate entry points, there are numerous illegal routes, with the Volta Region alone recording 102 illegal crossings.

This move, he said, necessitated a shift towards intelligence-driven surveillance to strengthen border security.

He cited recent operations where security intelligence led to the arrest of an ambulance and a bullion van transporting narcotic drug, underscoring the importance of intelligence in combating smuggling.

Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak announced that the government of the Netherlands had provided funding for Ghana to acquire high-resolution scanners to detect narcotic drugs and ammunition.

In addition, the government of Singapore had pledged to supply eight intrusive scanners, which would be deployed at Tema and Takoradi ports, as well as inland borders at Elubo, Aflao, Hamile, and other key entry points.

Ghana’s fight against narcotics is guided by the Narcotics Control Commission (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1100) and the Narcotics Control Commission Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2475).

These laws permit controlled cultivation of cannabis with THC ≤0.3% for industrial and medicinal purposes, while recreational use remains illegal.

The country has also intensified community sensitisation programmes, with over 2,170 engagements and radio campaigns reaching about 500,000 people nationwide. The Ministry of the Interior and the Narcotics Control Commission have further established students’ drug clubs in schools to promote awareness among the youth.

The intelligence-based border monitoring initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to strengthen narcotics control, expand the presence of Narcotics Control Commission offices from 66 to all 261 MMDAs within five to seven years, and safeguard national security against transnational drug trafficking.