Airport security officer helped suspected drug trafficker bypass checks, Muntaka says

A senior airport security officer allegedly used his position to carry a bag through a staff entrance without screening and hand it to a suspected drug trafficker, Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has told MPs.

Mr Muntaka said the incident had prompted authorities to strengthen airport checks, including deploying police and military sniffer dogs to support the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

Speaking before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, October 20, he said additional checks before passenger check-in and boarding were intended to detect drugs that might evade earlier screening.

The minister alleged that the officer’s seniority had allowed him to avoid the usual checks.

“In one of the instances, we realised that a security officer working [at the airport] decided to use a staff gate and because he is a senior person within the airport security, when he got there, they didn't let him scan what he was carrying,” he said.

“Apparently, he was aiding somebody who was going to trade drugs, so when he went through, then he went and handed it over.”

Additional checks for departing passengers

Mr Muntaka said NACOC did not have enough sniffer dogs to carry out the additional searches independently, leading authorities to seek support from the police and military.

“We are deploying canine units before check-in and again before boarding to ensure that, even if someone manages to bypass security through another route, they can still be detected before boarding the aircraft,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that the extra screening could slow passenger movement.

He estimated that it could add between 15 and 30 minutes to journeys through the airport, but said the measures were necessary to prevent drug trafficking.

Cooperation with France

Mr Muntaka also said Ghana and France had sought formal assistance from each other following the incident.

“When this thing happened, just the day after, I wrote for mutual legal assistance through the Attorney-General. Just as ours was going, the French had also written, calling for mutual legal assistance,” he told the committee.

Such requests allow countries to cooperate in criminal investigations and related proceedings, including by exchanging information and evidence under applicable legal procedures.

He also referred to memoranda of understanding with the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as part of efforts to strengthen international cooperation against drug trafficking.

Mr Muntaka said improved equipment, additional screening and intelligence-sharing formed part of the government’s response to weaknesses in airport security.