IGP task force targets drug hotspots in Tamale

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Special Operations Team has conducted another major swoop in parts of Tamale, including the Central Business District, as security agencies intensify efforts to clamp down on the sale and use of opioids and other illicit drugs.

The operation forms part of a series of targeted interventions across the Northern Region following growing concerns about rising drug abuse. During the latest exercise, the team visited Gurugu, the Tamale bus stop, and several other locations identified through intelligence as hotspots for suspected drug-related activity.

Similar operations have also been carried out in Yendi, Tolon, and Savelugu as part of a broader strategy to flush out illegal drug dealers and users in the region.

Speaking to the media, the leader of the IGP Special Operations Team, ASP Abdul Bawah Jalil, said drug trafficking and abuse have reduced significantly since the team’s deployment to the Northern Region.

He noted that several suspects have been arrested, with many currently before the courts, while others have been remanded or already sentenced. ASP Jalil also commended the judiciary for its support, describing it as crucial to the success of the operations.

ASP Jalil stressed that the ongoing crackdown is aimed at safeguarding peace and security in Northern Ghana, warning that attempts to politicise the fight against drug-related crime or link it to traditional authority would not derail the exercise.
“When you fight criminal networks, it is never easy. Some people try to use politics or chieftaincy, but this fight is not about individuals — it is for the collective interest of the people of the North,” he stated.

He further appealed to parents and guardians to take responsibility for their children by discouraging them from engaging in drug abuse, cautioning that offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law.