A pre-dawn security sweep across parts of Tamale has left several suspected drug hideouts flattened and a dozen people in police custody, as law enforcement intensifies efforts to curb crime in the Northern Regional capital. The operation, carried out by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Operations Team, targeted locations long associated with drug activity.
Police say the exercise was designed to choke supply routes and dismantle spaces used for peddling and abuse. Leading the team, DSP Bawah Abdul Jalil said officers moved decisively into identified hotspots, deploying 105 personnel and 10 service vehicles to execute the operation. The fleet included an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and a Black Maria designated for transporting suspects.
At Changli, particularly the area referred to as Aluta Boys, eight arrests were made, DSP Jalil stated, adding that other suspects were picked up elsewhere in the metropolis. Police also seized quantities of opioids and substances believed to be Indian hemp. Structures serving as makeshift drug dens were pulled down and destroyed to prevent criminals from regrouping.
The operation went into these areas with one goal: to disrupt the activities of drug peddlers and ensure communities are safe. Large quantities of opioids and substances suspected to be Indian hemp were also seized during the operation. Police emphasized that they will not tolerate drug peddling and abuse in communities across the metropolis.
DSP Jalil noted that the crackdown forms part of the police service’s broader New Year security plan aimed at tackling both violent and economic crimes. The initiative sought to detect, prevent, and suppress robbery, drug peddling and abuse, theft, rape, and attacks on commercial vendors. The operation also aimed to ensure the uninterrupted flow of commercial and economic activities within the metropolis.
The police team extended operations to Kumbungu, an area identified as a hub for drug peddling, drug abuse, and other criminal activities. Officers moved into a nearby forest reserve believed to be a hideout for criminal elements, though no suspects were found and no arrests were made in that location. Patrols were further extended to the Tamale Taxi Rank and surrounding areas, where a thorough search was conducted without detecting suspicious items or activities.
All twelve suspects have been conveyed to the Sakasaka Police Station, where they are currently in lawful custody assisting with investigations. The exhibits retrieved during the operation have been secured and retained for evidential purposes, pending further investigations and forensic analysis.
The operation has significantly enhanced visibility and contributed to the deterrence of criminal activities within the Tamale Metropolis during the New Year period. DSP Jalil called on residents to support the police with information to help keep Tamale safe, pledging to maintain intelligence led actions against criminal networks.
This latest crackdown follows a series of similar operations conducted by the IGP Special Operations Team in recent weeks. The team has been operating in Tamale since November as part of efforts to improve security in the metropolis. Prior operations have led to numerous arrests of suspected drug peddlers across various districts in the Northern Region.
Traditional authorities in the Northern Region have commended the IGP Special Operations Team for their efforts in restoring safety and maintaining law and order across Tamale and the wider region. Prior to the deployment of the team, the Northern Region was widely regarded as one of the hubs of drug related activities, prompting stakeholders to call for increased security interventions.
Lecturers from the University for Development Studies and other stakeholders previously wrote formally to the Inspector General of Police seeking urgent action to address the rising crime situation in the region. The sustained operations have resulted in multiple drug busts and significant seizures of illicit substances.
In a previous operation on January 1, 2026, the team arrested three suspected drug offenders during intensive patrols. Musah Zubelu was found in possession of a substance suspected to be heroin, while Abdul Halik Hafiz was found with 19 sachets of tramadol. Kojo Debrah was arrested with dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Earlier operations in December 2025 also yielded significant results. The team arrested 17 persons during a swoop at the Waterworks area in Tamale, retrieving quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, eight bottles of Koffex cough syrup, two sachets of suspected opioid tablets, and one motorbike. That operation was executed without any casualties and dealt a major blow to drug related activities.
In another December operation, four suspects were arrested including Ibrahim Abudu at Taha with Tramadol capsules and suspected Indian hemp. Abdul Hanan was arrested at Gumani with a parcel of suspected Indian hemp and later led police to his supplier, Mohammed Ibrahim, who was found with sacks of the substance. The team also raided the Changli area during that operation, recovering seven bottles of Benylin Codeine, opioid drugs, and suspected Indian hemp.
The IGP Special Operations Team remains committed to sustaining such operations to ensure peace, security and public confidence in the Northern Region. Police have emphasized that the operations are part of a long term strategy to combat drug trafficking and associated crimes throughout the metropolis.
