The Inspector-General of Police’s Special Operations Team has arrested 74 suspects in two separate intelligence-led operations targeting narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities in the Upper East Region.
The coordinated operations, carried out on May 20 and May 22, 2026, form part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on drug-related offences, violent crimes, and cross-border criminal networks within the region.
The first operation took place at Paga within the Ghana–Burkina Faso border buffer zone, where 40 suspects were arrested, comprising 28 males and 12 females.
The suspects include 23 Ghanaians, eight Nigerians, six Burkinabés, one Malian, and one Togolese national.
Police recovered parcels and sacks of suspected narcotic substances, as well as five motorbikes believed to have been used in distribution activities.
Two days later, on 22nd May 2026, the Special Operations Team conducted another swoop at identified hotspots within the Navrongo Municipality, including the Condemned Road Corridor, “After Six” Spot and “Lighter Inn” Spot.
That operation led to the arrest of 34 additional suspects, made up of 32 males and 2 females.
Items retrieved include 11 motorbikes, quantities of suspected narcotics and assorted foreign cigarettes.
The suspects were subsequently arraigned before High Court Two, presided over by Justice Ernest Pascal Gemadzie.
Sixteen of them were remanded into police custody and are expected to reappear in court on 4th June 2026, while the remaining 22 are undergoing profiling to assist further investigations.
The Police Service says all suspects remain in custody assisting investigations, while efforts continue to track down other individuals linked to the criminal networks operating in the area.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations to dismantle drug trafficking and related crimes across the Upper East Region.