{
  "id": 13937562,
  "title": "Cannabis traffickers using ambulances and bullion vans – Interior Minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/cannabis-traffickers-using-ambulances-and-bullion-vans-interior",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T10:50:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/cannabis-traffickers-using-ambulances-and-bullion-vans-interior-minister/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka has warned that cannabis traffickers are increasingly utilizing ambulances and bullion vans to transport the substance. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Muntaka said security forces had intercepted vehicles previously associated with legitimate services, used to conceal and transport cannabis. He expressed concern over the casual attitude towards cannabis cultivation in certain communities, noting that residents often viewed the practice as unimportant. The government is responding through the destruction of cannabis farms, arrests, and intelligence-led operations, according to the Minister. Recounting a recent operation, he revealed that security personnel uncovered dried cannabis hidden in a shrine when they entered the building. The shrine's owners subsequently lodged a complaint, alleging that the security team had desecrated the sacred site. Mr Muntaka alleged that some individuals were exploiting ambulances to transport cannabis rather than sick patients, stating that there have been instances where ambulances were found to be carrying weed instead of sick individuals. Bullion vans, traditionally used to transport money to the Bank of Ghana, have also been repurposed for cannabis trafficking, he claimed. The Minister's account illustrates the tactics used by security agencies in their ongoing battle against cannabis trafficking and illegal cultivation efforts.",
  "summary": "The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has revealed that suspected cannabis traffickers are allegedly using ambulances and bullion vans to transport the substance, as the government intensifies efforts to combat illegal cultivation and drug trafficking.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Ghana has over 300 illegal crossing points – Interior Minister on border security",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ghana-has-over-300-illegal-crossing-points-interior-minister-on",
        "published": "2026-10-12T10:53:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}