IGP Special Operations Team seizes drugs worth GH¢200,000; Nigerian, Nigerien nationals among suspects nabbed in Accra
The Inspector-General of Police's Special Operations Team has arrested fifty suspects following an intelligence-led anti-narcotics operation conducted on May 7, 2026, at the Madina Market enclave in the Greater Accra Region.
The arrested individuals comprise forty-six males and four females. Preliminary screening of the suspects revealed a multinational criminal network, with nationalities including 25 Ghanaians, 13 Nigerians, 9 Nigeriens, 1 Malian, 1 Togolese, and 1 Burkinabe.
Two of the suspects have been identified as the kingpins within the criminal network: Abigail Oko, aged 26, and Mohammed Zaya, a Nigerien national.
Additionally, suspects Yusif Abubakar, aged 25, and Amadu Alfani, aged 43, both Nigerien nationals, were identified as shop owners engaged in the sale and distribution of narcotic substances within the bustling market.
The operation yielded a significant haul of illicit drugs and related materials. Items recovered include two hundred and thirty boxes of Tramadol valued at GH¢130,000; forty-nine boxes of wrappers valued at GH¢26,000; ten parcels of Indian hemp valued at GH¢15,000; thirteen boxes of crushers; mobile phones; scissors; knives; and other suspected narcotic-related materials.
The estimated street value of the recovered exhibits amounts to GH¢200,000.
All fifty suspects, together with the recovered exhibits, have been conveyed to the National Operations Directorate Headquarters for further investigation and necessary action.
The operation marks one of the largest single anti-narcotics sweeps in the Madina area this year and underscores the IGP's Special Operations Team's focus on market centres and public spaces where drug peddling has become increasingly brazen.
The Ghana Police Service has served notice that it will continue to conduct targeted operations against the supply, distribution, and peddling of narcotic substances in markets, communities, and public spaces across the country.
The Inspector-General of Police has commended all officers involved in these operations, stating that their dedication and professionalism remain central to the success of the service's crime-fighting efforts. The police have also expressed gratitude to members of the public who continue to support operations with credible and timely information.
Authorities have indicated that the suspects will face court proceedings once investigations are concluded, and efforts are ongoing to trace the broader supply networks feeding into the Madina Market drug trade.
