The Police in Savelugu near Tamale have arrested three men who were transporting restricted drugs hidden in a vehicle spare tyre.
The arrest was made on the Tamale to Bolga highway in the Northern Region.
The arrest comes on the heels of a recent bust of a 53-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, for unlawful possession and sale of restricted pharmaceutical drugs in Tamale.
In a statement released by the police at the time of the man’s arrest, a search at his shop revealed 368 blisters of Tramadol and 298 blisters of Tramaking, both powerful opioids restricted under Ghanaian law.
The arrest, which occurred on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at around 1:30 p.m., followed an intelligence-led operation at Victory Cinema near Aboabo, where the suspect operates an over-the-counter (OTC) chemical shop.
According to police reports, an initial search at the shop led to the discovery of 368 blisters of Tramadol (120mg) and 298 blisters of Tramaking (120mg), both of which are controlled substances under Ghana’s drug laws.
Further investigations led authorities to the suspect’s residence in Fuo, another suburb of Tamale, where they uncovered a warehouse containing a staggering 447 boxes of Tramadol and 11 boxes of Tramaking.
Alhaji Sayuti was arraigned before court on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, where he pleaded guilty to charges of possessing restricted drugs and engaging in the unauthorised sale of those drugs.
Opioid abuse in Tamale is becoming a major social problem, which has attracted stakeholders in the regional capital.
Volunteer groups sprang up in the wake of the opioid challenge, and these have made arrests since their formation to assist the police to stop the drug abuse.