The Ghana Police Service, through the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) Special Operations Team, has arrested 74 suspects in a series of intelligence-led anti-crime operations carried out in the Upper East Region as part of intensified efforts to clamp down on narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities.
The operations, conducted in Paga and the Navrongo Municipality between May 20 and May 22, 2026, targeted suspected drug peddlers, violent offenders, and individuals believed to be linked to organized criminal activities within the region.
According to police, the first operation took place on May 20, 2026, at Paga, specifically within the Ghana-Burkina Faso border buffer zone.
The coordinated swoop led to the arrest of 40 suspects, made up of 28 men and 12 women.
The suspects are said to include 23 Ghanaians, eight Nigerians, six Burkinabés, one Malian, and one Togolese national, highlighting what authorities describe as the cross-border nature of the suspected criminal activities.
Police retrieved several exhibits during the operation, including parcels and sacks containing substances suspected to be narcotics.
Five motorbikes believed to have been used in the transportation and distribution of the substances were also seized.
In a separate operation on May 22, 2026, the Special Operations Team carried out another intelligence-led swoop within the Navrongo Municipality.
The exercise focused on identified criminal hotspots, including the Condemned Road Corridor, the “After Six” Spot, and the “Lighter Inn” Spot.
That operation resulted in the arrest of 34 additional suspects, comprising 32 men and two women.
Police also recovered 11 motorbikes, quantities of suspected narcotic substances, and assorted foreign cigarettes believed to be linked to illicit trade activities in the area.
The Ghana Police Service indicated that the operations form part of ongoing nationwide efforts to combat drug trafficking, violent crime, and related offenses, particularly in border communities and areas considered vulnerable to criminal networks.
On the same day as the Navrongo operation, some of the suspects were arraigned before High Court Two in Navrongo, presided over by His Lordship Justice Ernest Pascal Gemadzie.
The court remanded 16 suspects into police custody to reappear on June 4, 2026, while the remaining 22 suspects are currently undergoing profiling and screening for further legal action.
Police said all suspects remain in custody assisting with investigations as authorities work to identify and apprehend other individuals believed to be connected to the criminal activities uncovered during the operations.
The Police Administration has reiterated its commitment to ensure public safety and dismantle criminal networks operating within communities and along Ghana’s borders.
By 1960news.com
