NACOC cracks down on festive illicit drug trade, arrests 72 across two regions

The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has carried out a series of intelligence-led operations across the Eastern and Greater Accra regions, dismantling several drug dens as part of a festive season crackdown dubbed Operation White Ember.

According to a statement posted on the Commission’s Facebook page, the coordinated raids targeted known drug hotspots stretching from Mamfe and Tutu in the Eastern Region to Madina Redco Flats, Zongo Junction and the railway slums around Airport City in Accra.

On Boxing Day, NACOC officers extended the operation to Tema Community One and Teshie Nungua, where dozens of suspects were arrested and quantities of illicit drugs were seized, with support from the Commission’s K9 unit.

Patrols were also conducted at major shopping malls and along popular beaches in the capital as part of efforts to curb drug-related activities during the holiday period.

In all, 72 suspects were arrested during the operations, with exhibits recovered including ecstasy, methamphetamine and cannabis laced alcoholic beverages.

Beyond the arrests and seizures, NACOC highlighted the wider social impact of the exercise, noting that the drugs intercepted potentially represent “thousands of lives saved from the brink of addiction” during the festive season.

Officers also engaged residents in affected communities, many of whom gathered to cheer the removal of suspected drug peddlers from their neighbourhoods.

As part of the operation, NACOC conducted on-site public education, sensitising residents on the dangers of drug abuse and the impact of narcotics on community safety.

The Commission reiterated its commitment to sustaining the momentum of Operation White Ember, assuring the public that similar raids would continue in the days and months ahead to ensure that the festive season and beyond remain a time of safety, joy and wellbeing for all Ghanaians.