The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has revealed that the government has identified 102 unapproved border routes in the Volta Region alone.
He said the discovery has raised concerns about Ghana’s porous borders and the risk of criminals, including drug traffickers, using these illegal routes.
According to him, the large number of unapproved crossings shows how difficult it is for security agencies to fully protect the country’s borders.
Mr Mubarak made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
He said Ghana has 48 official border crossing points, but the country is also dealing with many illegal routes along its borders.
“We have 48 legitimate crossing points into our country,” he said, adding, “But the illegitimate ones, because of the time, to make sure that we secure our borders. We are shocked to realise that the last time I was in the Volta Region alone, we’ve identified 102 unapproved routes.”
The Minister explained that the problem is not limited to the Volta Region.
He said other border regions, including the Upper East, Upper West, Bono and Western regions, also have many unapproved routes that need closer monitoring because they share borders with neighbouring countries.
Mr Mubarak warned that if these illegal routes are not properly secured, Ghana could become a transit point for international criminal groups.
“If we don’t focus on trying to secure even these unapproved routes, what is going to simply happen is that we’ll become a transit point, they can use us as a transit point,” he said.
He explained that criminal groups can avoid the main border posts and use these unofficial routes to move illegal goods into and through the country.
The Interior Minister said security agencies have responded by setting up strategic inland checkpoints to strengthen border security and improve monitoring.
He acknowledged that some members of the public have complained about the number of checkpoints, but said they are important for gathering intelligence and protecting national security.
“As we speak, we have about 63 inland checkpoints,” he said.
Mr Mubarak also urged security officers at the checkpoints to reduce delays and inconvenience for travellers while relying more on intelligence-led operations.
He added that protecting Ghana’s borders requires support from the public and encouraged citizens to share credible information with the security agencies whenever they notice suspicious activities.
