Police sweep Upper East Region, arrest 74 in border drug crackdown
A major security clampdown in the Upper East Region has led to the arrest of 74 individuals in two coordinated intelligence-led operations targeting suspected drug trafficking and related criminal activity.
The exercise, led by the Inspector-General of Police’s Special Operations Team under the Ghana Police Service, was conducted in Paga and the Navrongo Municipality as part of intensified efforts to curb crime along border communities.
The first operation took place on May 20, 2026, within the Paga border enclave near the Ghana–Burkina Faso frontier. A raid in the area resulted in the arrest of 40 suspects, consisting of both men and women.
Authorities say the group included multiple foreign nationals, with suspects identified as Ghanaians, Nigerians, Burkinabés, a Malian, and a Togolese citizen. Officers also retrieved suspected narcotics, along with motorbikes believed to have been used in distribution activities.
A second operation followed on May 22, 2026, targeting known hotspots within Navrongo, including the Condemned Road area and popular entertainment spots in the municipality. That exercise led to the arrest of 34 more suspects.
During the swoop, police also seized additional motorbikes, suspected drugs, and assorted foreign cigarettes believed to be linked to illicit trade networks operating in the area.
The suspects were later arraigned before the High Court in Navrongo, where 16 individuals were remanded into custody pending further proceedings, while the rest are undergoing profiling and investigation.
Security officials say the operations form part of a sustained nationwide strategy to dismantle drug networks and disrupt criminal activity in both urban and border zones, with further arrests expected as investigations continue.
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