Traffickers transporting cannabis with ambulances and bullion vans – Interior Minister

Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka has revealed that traffickers are utilizing ambulances and bullion vans to smuggle cannabis, as the government escalates its efforts to combat illegal cultivation and drug trafficking. In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Muntaka disclosed that security forces have intercepted vehicles associated with legitimate services, which were being repurposed for drug smuggling.

He expressed concern over the lax attitude towards cannabis cultivation in certain communities, where residents appear to treat the practice as trivial.

Muntaka stated that the government is responding to the issue through the destruction of cannabis farms, arrests, and intelligence-led operations. A recent example cited by the Minister involved the discovery of dried cannabis hidden within a shrine. Upon arrival, security personnel found the shrine, entered the premises, and collected the contraband. However, the shrine's owners subsequently lodged a complaint with Muntaka, alleging that the security team had desecrated the sacred site.

The Minister further alleged that some individuals were exploiting ambulances to transport cannabis instead of patients. He recounted instances where ambulances were observed leaving certain areas, but intelligence later revealed that they were transporting drugs rather than sick individuals. In such cases, police stopped and searched the vehicles, only to find them laden with cannabis.

Additionally, Muntaka alleged that bullion vans, which are typically used to transport money for the Bank of Ghana, were being repurposed to move cannabis. He stated that security forces have intercepted such vehicles carrying drugs instead of the intended bullion. The Minister emphasized that the government remains committed to combating these illicit activities through farm destruction, arrests, and intelligence-led operations.