Three suspects have been handed over to police after youths attacked traditional leaders, local officials and members of a community task force during a four-day anti-drug operation in Assin Asaman and Owusukrom.
One person was injured in the violence, while the windscreen and side windows of a vehicle belonging to assembly member Gregory Ankomah Gyakye were smashed.
The operation was led by chiefs from Assin Asaman, in the Central Region’s Assin Central constituency, and Owusukrom, across the border in Ashanti’s Adansi South District, Adom News reported.
Mr Gyakye also joined the team, which targeted makeshift structures known locally as “ghettos”. Several of the structures were demolished after allegedly being used as bases for selling and taking narcotics in the two neighbouring towns.
Search teams also recovered an unspecified amount of cash and quantities of suspected cannabis, tramadol and cocaine.
The attacks began after youths linked to the demolished drug sites confronted the chiefs, the assembly member and those accompanying them. One member of the task force was wounded with a cutlass.
Mr Gyakye said he and others involved in the operation narrowly escaped being lynched.
He said the trade in illegal drugs had contributed to rising crime in the area and warned that the effects were damaging community safety.
“Some drug dealers and users in the area engage in robbery, burglary, and other acts of public disturbance, particularly after consuming these substances, thereby undermining peace and security in our communities,” Mr Gyakye said.
He added that traditional leaders and residents of Assin Asaman and Owusukrom remained committed to preventing illegal drug activity from threatening local security.
His comments came as police in the wider Assin area investigated the death of a 56-year-old farmer at Assin Ketukrom.
Police also held a father and son at Assin Akrofuom earlier this week after a man was allegedly tied to a pole and beaten.
The three suspects connected to the attacks are being held for investigation. The Ghana Police Service had not released a statement on the case by Friday afternoon.
The wider operation reflects continuing efforts by communities and authorities to dismantle locations believed to be involved in drug sales and use.
Nationally, the Narcotics Control Commission has pledged to pursue drug traffickers wherever they operate.
