Police arrest 50 suspects in anti-drug operation at Madina Market

The Ghana Police Service has arrested 50 persons in a major anti-narcotics operation conducted within the Madina Market enclave in the Greater Accra Region.

The intelligence-led exercise was carried out on Thursday, May 7, 2026, by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Special Operations Team as part of efforts to clamp down on the supply and distribution of illicit drugs within the area.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, May 8, 2026, the Director-General of Police Operations, COP Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe, said the operation targeted suspected drug trafficking networks operating within the market enclave.

According to him, the suspects comprise 46 males and four females.

He explained that preliminary screening conducted by investigators showed that 25 of the suspects are Ghanaians, while the remaining 25 are foreign nationals, including 13 Nigerians, nine Nigeriens, one Malian, one Togolese, and one Burkinabe.

Police investigations have also identified two suspects, Abigail Oku, 26, and Mohammed Zaya, a Nigerian national, as alleged kingpins within the drug distribution network operating in the enclave.

COP Cudjoe further named Yousef Abubakar, 25, and Ahmadu Alfani, 43, both Nigerians, as shop owners believed to have played key roles in the sale and distribution of the substances.

During the operation, police retrieved several items believed to be linked to narcotics activities within the area.

“Items retrieved during the operation include 230 boxes of tramadol valued at 130,000 cedis, 49 boxes of wrappers valued at 26,000 cedis, 10 parcels of Indian herb valued at 15,000 cedis, 13 boxes of crashes, mobile phones, scissors, knives and other suspected Nakoti-related materials,” he stated.

“The estimated street value of the recovered exhibits amounts to 200 Ghanaian cities,” he added.

Police say all 50 suspects, together with the retrieved exhibits, have been transferred to the National Operations Department Directorate Headquarters to assist with ongoing investigations.

Authorities are expected to determine the next legal steps after investigations are concluded.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling narcotics-related crimes across the country, stressing that targeted operations will continue in markets and communities identified as hubs for the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.