Police destroy 11 cannabis farms in Volta Region anti-drug operation

The Volta Regional Police Command, in collaboration with the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) at the National Police Headquarters, has destroyed 11 large cannabis farms at Peki-Dzake in the South Dayi District as part of an intensified crackdown on the cultivation and trafficking of illicit drugs.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, July 9, 2026, was based on intelligence indicating that cannabis was being cultivated at remote locations within the Peki-Dzake enclave.

A total of 60 police officers drawn from various units of the Volta Regional Police Command participated in the exercise. The team included personnel from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit, Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, Regional Defence Force (RDF), Highway Patrol Unit and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

The operation was led by the Volta Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Mick Omari Boakye, and the Regional Director of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit, DSP Richard Dotsey Gablah. They were assisted by the Regional Director of the Police Intelligence Directorate, Superintendent Alexander Adade Yeboah, the Regional Operations Commander, DSP Augustine Awuah, and other senior officers.

After a briefing, the security team moved into the identified locations, where they discovered and destroyed 11 cannabis farms. The mature cannabis plants were cut down and incinerated in a controlled operation to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby vegetation.

Speaking after the exercise, the Volta Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Francis Gomado, said no arrests were made because some individuals believed to have been tending the farms detected the approach of the police through the difficult terrain and fled before officers arrived.

He described the scale of the cultivation as evidence that illegal cannabis farming remains a significant concern in parts of the Volta Region.

Chief Inspector Gomado, however, assured the public that the Police would intensify intelligence-led operations to identify and arrest those involved in the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of narcotic substances.

He also appealed to members of the public to provide credible information to support ongoing anti-drug operations, assuring them that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality.

The Volta Regional Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to combating narcotics-related crimes and maintaining law and order across the region, stressing that the latest operation forms part of the Ghana Police Service's broader efforts to dismantle illegal drug networks and safeguard communities.