Over 45 million tramadol tablets seized in two years - Muntaka
More than 45 million tramadol tablets have been seized in Ghana in less than two years as the government steps up efforts to tackle the country’s growing illicit drug problem.
The Minister of the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, disclosed the figure at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, August 24, 2026, alongside an update on arrests, prosecutions and seizures recorded under the intensified campaign.
NACOC seizes over 4,700kg varieties of tramadol tablets, capsules
According to him, the operations have so far led to 217 arrests and the initiation of 165 prosecutions, with more than 8,500 kilogrammes of narcotics also seized.
“One of the major challenges that confronts us continues to be the illicit drug fight,” Muntaka said.
He said the scale of tramadol seizures was particularly worrying, given the growing use of synthetic drugs.
“One of the biggest challenges now is the use of these synthetic drugs, and Narcotics Control has intensified its effort,” he said.
“Imagine, in less than two years, over 45 million tablets of tramadol were seized or intercepted,” he added.
The minister credited the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and his team, together with the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies, for what he described as a more decisive approach to the drug abuse problem.
Muntaka said the government was also going after the financial networks behind the illicit drug trade, rather than focusing only on arrests.
He said intelligence-led operations had resulted in 73 tainted assets being recovered within about 20 months, while more than 19 kilogrammes of gold had been seized in suspected drug-money laundering cases.
About GH¢6.9 million and US$440,000 in cash have also been restrained in connection with suspected drug-related activities.
The minister said the strategy was to disrupt the financial base of drug trafficking by tracing and recovering assets believed to have been acquired through the proceeds of the trade.
Beyond enforcement, Muntaka said NACOC had intensified education and prevention programmes to discourage drug use, particularly among young people.
He said more than 2,000 educational programmes had been organised nationwide, targeting 1,153 first-cycle schools, 185 second-cycle schools and 41 tertiary institutions.
The campaign has also reached 187 faith-based organisations, 147 communities and 235 workplaces.
“We have intensified education to try to let people understand the effect and how this thing can be devastating,” Muntaka said.
Despite the increased arrests, seizures and public education, the minister identified rehabilitation as one of the major gaps in Ghana’s response to drug abuse.
He noted that the country still does not have a dedicated national rehabilitation centre capable of adequately supporting people struggling with drug dependence.
Muntaka said addressing that gap would be important in ensuring that the fight against illicit drugs goes beyond enforcement to helping affected persons recover and reintegrate into society.
NA/VPO
Source: www.ghanaweb.com« Previous |
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