A prison officer has been arrested at the gate of the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison after he attempted to smuggle dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp into the prison.

The officer, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, concealed the suspected banned substance in a mosquito repellent container, but it was found during a routine pat-down.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Prison Service in the Central Region, DSP Daniel Machetor, explained that the officer has since been sent to the Elmina police station to continue with the investigation.

 “Yesterday [Sunday] around 7:50 pm officers scheduled for night duties were reporting for duty and the routine is that all officers entering the premises must be searched thoroughly before they get into the facility so that they do not enter the facility with any contraband.

“So during the search, one officer, an assistant chief officer, was found to have concealed the banned substance in a mosquito repellent container.

“We have taken him through service procedure; we have taken him through the statement and the general law of the land is also against smuggling contrabands such as marijuana. Because of that we have invited the police and they have come to take his statement,” the PRO explained.

Marijuana or cannabis remains the most popular illegal drug in Ghana.

Ghana is reported to be among the highest cannabis-using nations in Africa and the world.

In the 1990s, cannabis which had previously been an urban phenomenon in bars and nightclubs had spread to rural areas as well.

It is common knowledge that prison officers in Ghana assist inmates to get access to the banned substance.