Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Minister of the Interior, has appealed to the public to provide information on suspected drug activities without making excessive financial demands on security agencies.
He said some informants demanded large sums of money before sharing intelligence, despite the limited resources available to support anti-narcotics operations.
Mr Muntaka made the appeal in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, monitored by the Ghana News Agency, on the topic, “State of Security and More”.
He cited a case at the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), where an individual allegedly demanded US$20 million from the Director-General before providing information on suspected drug activities.
”We are pleading with our citizens that we need to keep all of us safe. We don’t have unlimited resources. Sometimes we do this from our own pockets. Please help us without necessarily making untoward demands,” he said.
The Minister said similar demands were made by some people who approached the Ministry with information on suspected criminal activities, with some requesting as much as GH¢5,000.
”I sit at the ministry, people run and come, there is this thing happening and you have to give me something; they demand 5000,” he revealed.
Mr Muntaka said about 99 per cent of the information received was credible and deserved consideration for compensation, but the Ministry had limited resources to meet the demands.
He said officers sometimes used their personal funds to support intelligence gathering.
The Minister assured informants that the Government would provide assistance where necessary to cover transportation costs or offer security protection arising from the information supplied.
”Where we genuinely need to assist you to cover your transport and other things, we will. Where we have to protect you with security due to the information you gave us, we will do so. But the demands sometimes break our necks and makes our people pissed off,” he said.
Mr Muntaka said efforts to combat drug trafficking, including activities by South American cartels using West Africa as a transit route, required cooperation among neighbouring countries, international partners and the public.
”We need international collaboration with our neighbours and all citizens. If you see something, say something,” he appealed.
On anti-narcotics operations, Mr Muntaka said the Government had recorded 28 drug seizures over the past 20 months, 11 of which involved cocaine.
He also reported five drug-related operations internationally, two in Belgium and one each in Australia, France and the Netherlands.
The Minister said measures to strengthen anti-narcotics operations included training more security personnel in image analysis, retooling security agencies and providing incentives to officers.
He said rigorous checks at the airport would commence soon and urged the public to cooperate with security personnel, despite any minor inconveniences the exercises might cause.
Data from NACOC, the National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Police Service and foreign authorities indicated that 28 drug busts had been recorded since March 2025, including 11 cocaine cases.
The seizures involved consignments intercepted in Ghana and shipments seized abroad after leaving or passing through the country.
Other drugs seized included cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and pharmaceutical opioids, while the specific substances in some consignments were not publicly disclosed.
Source: GNA
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