Interior Minister raises concerns over drug trafficking in prisons

The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, is worried about drug trafficking in Ghana's prisons. He blames poor security and surveillance for this issue. As a result, prisons have become hotspots for illegal trade.

During a meeting with Imams in the Ashanti Region on April 3, he spoke about the problem. He noted that inadequate surveillance allows drug transactions to thrive. This situation poses a serious threat to national security.

Mubarak described the severity of the issue. He stated that current security measures make it hard to detect contraband items. "It is very shameful," he said, "that we don’t even have X-ray scanners in our prisons."

He explained that hand searches are insufficient for detecting everything smuggled in. The lack of modern technology leaves prison officials powerless against illegal substances.

To tackle this problem, the Minister plans to introduce CCTV cameras and other surveillance technologies. However, he acknowledged that this alone won't solve all issues within the system.

"We will get these scanners and put CCTV cameras across our prisons," he said. This will help monitor activities more effectively.

Mubarak also highlighted poor conditions inside prisons. He mentioned the low feeding budget for inmates as a significant concern. Since 2011, prisoners have received only 1 cedi 80 pesewas per day for three meals.

“Feeding is even a problem,” he stated. “Even school feeding programs provide more than what we give prisoners.”

In another matter, Mubarak directed Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno to transfer police commanders from areas affected by illegal mining, known as galamsey.