Police officers deliberately plant narcotics in vehicles of individuals – Police HQ
The Ghana police service has admitted that some of its officers deliberately plant narcotic substances into the vehicles of civilians and turn around to falsely accuse them.
This was contained in an internal memo issued by the service.
According to the memo, “reports reaching the headquarters indicate that, some personnel deployed on motor traffic duties and highway patrols have cultivated a habit of planting narcotic substances in the vehicle of individuals and turn around to arrest them on charges of possession of narcotics. This situation is not only embarrassing to the police administration but unprofessional on the part of officers involved in the practice.”
To deal with the situation, the memo instructed that “for the avoidance of doubt and to stern the practice in the bud, the Inspector General of Police directs henceforth that all such patrol units should be led by an SPO who shall be held accountable for any such unprofessional conduct. Additionally, personnel have reported that some Commanders of these units assign monetary targets to the duty personnel to be brought after the duties. Commanders should therefore be made aware that special task forces have been set up to interview patrol, MTTD and highway duties personnel on these”.
Don’t leave officers to search your vehicles alone – Security analyst
However a former commander of the Formed Police Unit, Superintendent Naa Hamza Yakubu retired, has also admitted that the practice of planting narcotics in the vehicles of civilians exists.
“That is true. It is an age-old practice. Some do it when they have been contracted by people who want to get at their competitors or enemies. They are able to get some unscrupulous police officers to actually engage in such acts. That is very very true. They plant things on the premises of people and then turn around to say they’ve been arrested and on vehicles, it is very very true. It has happened in the past and I believe it is still happening,” he said.
He asked drivers not to leave police officers to search their vehicles alone.
Speaking in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report, the security analyst said civilians should search police officers before they allow them to search their vehicles.
“Some people when they are stopped by the police and asked to come and open their boot, out of some self-conceited pride, they sit in the vehicle, press a button and say you can check. That is very very dangerous. Such people give the unscrupulous police officers the chance to do that… It is very important for drivers, especially those in private cars to always ensure that they stand and watch whatever searches the police will conduct,” he said.
He stressed that “even if there is nothing wrong, you should ask them that you want to search them before they search your vehicle. It is the right of every citizen. When a police officer says he wants to conduct a search on your person, you have the right to say please I cannot trust you. Let me search your person before you have access to me”.