The Upper East Regional Police Command, backed by the Inspector-General of Police’s Special Operations Team, has apprehended 80 suspects in a sweeping, intelligence-led anti-crime operation across several hotspots in the Upper East Region.
The operation, which took place between May 25 and June 3, 2026, targeted areas known for criminal activity, including Zuarungu, Bolgatanga, Tongo, Bongo, and the Nabdam District. According to a police statement, the coordinated raids were aimed at dismantling networks involved in narcotics and other crimes.
In Zuarungu, 12 individuals, eight males and four females (with three Nigerians and one Ghanaian among the women), were arrested. Bongo saw the largest number of arrests, with 34 suspects (32 males and two females) taken into custody. In Pelungu, Kongo, and Nangodi within the Nabdam District, 14 suspects were rounded up, while Bolgatanga accounted for 20 additional arrests.
Preliminary investigations suggest that those apprehended were engaged in narcotics peddling, consumption, and a range of other criminal activities. The crackdown also resulted in significant seizures: in Tongo, police retrieved a motorcycle, assorted foreign cigarettes, male condoms, and substances suspected to be Indian hemp. Bongo operations yielded three rounds of 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition and two motorbikes.
The Nabdam District operation uncovered parcels and sacks of dried leaves believed to be narcotics, assorted drinks suspected of containing illicit substances, an unregistered motorbike, foreign cigarettes, and components of a casino jackpot machine. In Bolgatanga, further seizures included dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, assorted cigarettes, three motorbikes, two with registration numbers and one unregistered, and a casino jackpot machine.
All 80 suspects remain in police custody and will be prosecuted in court. The police have reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying such operations to rid communities of crime and safeguard public safety across the region.
Read the statement below:
Upper East Region
