A Circuit Court in Tamale has found one Alhaji Sayuti guilty of possession of illegal drugs following an intelligence-led operation that took place on Tuesday, July 15, around 1:30 p.m. at his over-the-counter chemical shop near Victory Cinema in Aboabo, Tamale.

The court, presided over by Francis Asubayere, fined the 53-year-old pharmaceutical distributor an amount of GH₵1,680,000, equivalent to 14,000 penalty units, on each charge set to run concurrently.

In the case of default of payment, he is expected to serve 25 years in prison.

Before his sentence, Alhaji pleaded guilty to the charges of possession and illegal sale of the regulated drugs.

As part of the crackdown exercise on opioid trade in the North and Ghana at large, the Northern Regional Police Command, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Taskforce, busted and found 447 boxes of tramadol (120mg) and 11 boxes of tramadol (120mg) in a warehouse inside Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti’s residence in Fuo.

However, his conviction is concerning 336 blisters of tramadol (120mg) found on him around the Victory Cinema area.

He is yet to be put before the court for the huge bust and seizure of the 447 boxes of tramadol and 11 boxes of tramadol-making found in the warehouse.

The Northern Region has experienced a rise in illegal opioid use, prompting significant arrests by police and the local anti-drug task force.

In a related development, the government has intensified its fight against rising abuse of opioids, particularly tramadol among others.

In June 2025, Officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the Transit Terminal on Thursday, June 19, intercepted a shipment disguised as general merchandise and headed for Niger.

The officials uncovered 100 cartons of Tramadol (50 of 250mg, 50 of 120mg), also known on the streets as “red.”

The operation, led by CRO William Kpodo and the monitoring team, has now been escalated to the Tema Collection’s investigation unit in collaboration with the Narcotics Board, Port Security and JPCU.

In March, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division intercepted contraband goods at Tema Port.

Boxes containing opioids were confiscated before noon today. There were 26 cartons of Rahol Tapentadol 250 mg, 160 cartons of Tafradol Tapentadol 120 mg, 40 cartons of Timaking Tapentadol 120 mg, 4 cartons of Timaking Tapentadol 250 mg, 190 cartons of Diazole Loperamide 2 mg, and 320 cartons of Chlorpheniramine Maleate.

The drugs are worth approximately GH₵20 million. The shipment was en route to Niger, its final destination.

Engaging the media, Health Minister Mintah Akandoh condemned the use of land borders to smuggle drugs and announced that the impounded consignment would remain in the safe custody of the Authority.

"There are only two designated areas for the import and export of medication—Tema Port and Kotoka International Airport. Drugs are not imported through our land borders," he said.

Also, the Ghana Police Service on June 20 arrested one Christopher Saigoe for the unlawful possession of substances suspected to be narcotic drugs at Nkurakan in the Eastern Region.

The operation, conducted on June 17, led to the interception of a Sprinter Benz bus with registration number AS 1933-21, driven by the suspect.

A search of the vehicle revealed five (5) sacks of maize within which were concealed seventy-eight (78) oval-shaped, sellotaped balls of plant material suspected to be Indian hemp.

The suspect is currently in Police custody assisting investigations and will be put before court.

In addition to the crackdown on the illicit sale of drugs and their usage, twenty-six suspects in connection with drug-related offences at the Aflao Border enclave in the Volta Region were apprehended by the Volta Regional Police Command through an intelligence-led operation conducted on May 24.

The suspects were arrested at various locations as part of efforts to clamp down on suspected drug peddlers and other related criminal activities in the area.

Exhibits retrieved from the suspects include 20 wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, 12 sachets of tramadol tablets, and a quantity of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp contained in a rubber bucket. Also found were cash amounts of GHC 30,558.00 and 17,500 CFA, as well as six drug-laced toffees.

Additionally, eight creams suspected to contain narcotic substances and 26 compressed parcels of suspected Indian hemp concealed in a fertilizer sack were retrieved.

The suspects are currently in police custody and will be arraigned before court to face justice.

In a related event, two individuals were also presently behind bars for possessing 1,650 slabs of substances suspected to be Indian hemp at Antokrom in the Eastern Region.

The Eastern North Regional Police Command arrested Hawa Ibrahim and Latifa Adams through an intelligence-led operation on May 14.

Twenty-four maxi bags were retrieved when a search was conducted.

The suspects who are in police custody will be taken through the due process of the law to face justice.

Consequently, the Senior Correctional Centre (SCC), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, organised a symposium on drug abuse for juveniles at the centre as part of the regional commemoration of the gender week celebration by the Ghana Prisons Service.

A psychiatrist with the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Adwoa Kusi-Kyere, facilitated the symposium at the Borstal Hall with the theme "drug abuse and its consequences on health."

Dr. Adwoa Kusi-Kyere educated the juveniles on avoiding substances such as tramadol, red, blue blue, cannabis, weed, alcohol, and others.

Deputy Director of Prisons, Mrs. Yayra Ashong-Mettle, the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) at the Senior Correctional Centre outlined some strategies to consider while serving their jail term.

She mentioned that rehabilitation programs available at the Senior Correctional Centre serve as a powerful remodeling tool to straighten their paths to become responsible citizens devoid of substance abuse.

The OIC called on the Borstal Boys to always avail themselves for counseling sessions in order to address any underlying issue bothering their minds.

Also, she underscored that cognitive-behavioral therapy available at the station helps juveniles to identify and change negative thought patterns that would benefit them in the long term.

DDP. Ashong-Mettle noted that, by providing a supportive environment and evidence-based programs, inmates who were once addicted to substance abuse could overcome addiction and develop a positive path towards rehabilitation and reintegration.