The Inspector-General of Police’s Special Operations Team has arrested 74 individuals in two separate intelligence-led operations targeting drug trafficking, violent crime, and other illegal activities in the Upper East Region.
The first operation was carried out on May 20, 2026, at Paga, within the Ghana–Burkina Faso border buffer zone. During the exercise, 40 suspects—28 men and 12 women—were apprehended. Among them were 23 Ghanaians, 8 Nigerians, 6 Burkinabés, one Malian, and one Togolese. Security officials also seized several parcels and sacks of suspected narcotics, along with five motorbikes believed to have been used in distribution.
A second operation followed on May 22, 2026, targeting known criminal hotspots within the Navrongo Municipality, including the Condemned Road Corridor, the “After Six” area, and the “Lighter Inn” location. This exercise led to the arrest of 34 suspects, made up of 32 men and 2 women. Police recovered 11 motorbikes, quantities of suspected narcotic substances, and a number of foreign-manufactured cigarettes.
On the same day, all suspects were 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 June 4, 2026, while the remaining 22 are currently undergoing profiling for further legal action.
Police say all suspects remain in custody assisting with investigations, as efforts continue to track down other individuals linked to criminal activities in the affected areas.
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