Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka
The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has disclosed that some government officials are being interrogated over their suspected involvement in the recent $208 million worth methamphetamine (meth) bust in Australia linked to a shipment from Ghana.
Appearing before Parliament’s Government Assurance Committee, the minister said investigations had uncovered indications that individuals within the state system may have played roles in facilitating the attempted trafficking, although he declined to identify those involved because investigations are ongoing.
“Our men on the ground, like this Australian thing that you mentioned in passing, even as of yesterday we were still interrogating a lot of government officials,” Mr. Muntaka told the committee.
Gathering Evidence
He stressed that investigators were pursuing evidence and could not disclose details that could compromise the probe.
“You have been Minister for Defence and you know the importance of evidence. It is not everything that I can put out at this stage because we are still investigating and interrogating people. There is a lot that is not adding up. You will see that there is some involvement of some people within the system,” he stated.
According to the minister, security agencies are working to identify everyone who may have played a role in the attempted smuggling operation.
He noted that sophisticated security equipment alone cannot prevent organised crime if personnel entrusted with operating the systems are compromised.
“Even if you put all these gadgets in place, they are still going to be operated by human beings. If the wrong persons are sitting there, you can bring all the gadgets in this world and it still will not be safe,” he said.
Security Operations Reviewed
Mr. Muntaka revealed that the Interior Ministry had reviewed its security operations, including personnel deployment and rotation, to reduce opportunities for collusion and strengthen surveillance at the country’s entry and exit points.
He explained that while public attention is often focused on major gateways such as the Accra International Airport, Tema Port and Takoradi Port, Ghana has 48 legitimate border crossing points that also require effective security oversight.
Anti-smuggling Operations
The minister also updated the committee on other anti-smuggling operations, stating that whenever security agencies intercept foreign currencies or gold, the items are handed over to the appropriate state institutions.
He said confiscated foreign currencies are transferred to the Bank of Ghana, while seized gold is handed over to the Ghana Gold Board.
According to him, the Bank of Ghana confirmed that foreign currencies intercepted in one operation were counterfeit and have since been destroyed, although prosecutions against those arrested are still ongoing.
Mastermind Still at Large
Mr. Muntaka disclosed that the alleged mastermind behind that operation remains at large, while several suspects already arrested continue to face prosecution.
He added that security agencies have placed some suspected kingpins on a stop list to ensure they are arrested if they attempt to enter Ghana.
The minister said the identities of some suspects are being withheld because investigations are continuing and security agents are yet to apprehend all persons believed to be connected to the criminal networks.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House
