Six arrested in Kumasi over the alleged sale of unregistered drugs

Seven men stand in a row in front of a shop, each with a bright yellow tag showing a name and age in bold text (blurred faces for privacy).

By Yaw Opoku Amoako July 1, 2026

Police in Kumasi have dismantled a suspected underground pharmaceutical distribution operation, apprehending six individuals and seizing a truckload of unregistered medicinal products destined for retail circulation among unsuspecting consumers.

The coordinated enforcement action unfolded on Monday, June 29, at the Airport Roundabout in the regional capital, with officers from the Ashanti Regional Police Command working alongside an elite tactical unit dispatched from the Inspector-General’s Special Operations Team based in Accra.

The six accused — Abdul Karim Ramadan, 20; Wisdom Pakindam Jatuat, 38; Razak Issahaku, 37; Abdul Rahman Yakubu, 45; Idrisu Mohammed, 26; and Nana Abio Godwin, 27 — were intercepted whilst operating a DAF XF truck bearing registration AW 5113-21.

A thorough examination of the vehicle’s cargo revealed the scope of their enterprise: seventeen sacks of fertiliser repurposed as containers for pharmaceutical tablets whose legitimacy remained unverified.

The seizure encompassed two distinct pharmaceutical formulations. Ten sacks bore labelling identifying the contents as Dyclosa 50mg tablets, while seven sacks were marked as Royal Chest and Lungs products. The quantity and packaging suggested an operation designed for wholesale distribution rather than personal consumption.

The suspects remain in police custody, cooperating with investigators from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit as they reconstruct the supply chain through which these unregistered products were obtained and destined for market circulation.

The seized pharmaceutical cache has been retained as evidence and transferred to the Food and Drugs Authority for examination.

That agency will conduct testing to establish whether the products possess valid registration credentials, analyse their chemical composition to verify correspondence between contents and labelling, and determine whether the items comply with the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).

Police have pledged ongoing collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority and allied stakeholders to systematically dismantle networks engaged in the illicit pharmaceutical trade.

Citizens have been encouraged to report suspected illegal manufacturing, distribution or sale of pharmaceutical products to the nearest police station or through emergency communication channels.