Police in Ghana’s Upper East Region have seized about 500 cartons of assorted brands of Tramadol in an intelligence-led operation at Widana, with one Burkinabe national arrested.
The operation was carried out on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, by personnel from the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) and the Operational Team, code-named “Black Cobra”.
It followed a month-long intelligence-gathering exercise focused on the activities of suspected drug dealers operating in the area.
According to the Upper East Regional Police Command, officers recovered the suspected illicit drugs from a privately operated warehouse and a number of individual residences during the operation.
The man arrested has been identified as Abdul Ali, 21, a Burkinabe national. Police said he is assisting with the ongoing investigation.
Preliminary intelligence gathered by the police suggests that the suspected network involved in importing the drugs includes foreign nationals from Mali, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Investigators believe the group allegedly used Widana as a transit and distribution point for the suspected illicit drugs.
The police have now widened their inquiries as they work to identify and arrest other people believed to be linked to the operation.
The seizure followed the intelligence-gathering phase targeting suspected drug-dealing activities in Widana. Police personnel from both the PID and the “Black Cobra” Operational Team were involved in searching the warehouse and residences where the cartons were found.
The Upper East Regional Police Command has not disclosed the individual brands of Tramadol recovered. However, it described the consignment as consisting of approximately 500 cartons of assorted brands of the suspected illicit drug.
Abdul Ali remains in police custody while investigators examine his alleged connection to the suspected network and seek further information about the movement of the drugs through the area.
Police preliminary intelligence also points to the possible involvement of nationals from four countries: Mali, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The authorities say the investigation is intended to establish the identities and roles of other individuals connected to the suspected importation, transit and distribution operation.
Widana is alleged by police to have been used as a point through which the drugs were transported and distributed. Officers are continuing efforts to trace other people believed to be involved after the seizure and arrest.
No further arrests were reported in the operation. The police said investigations remain ongoing as they pursue the other suspected members of the network.
