51 Suspected Criminals Rounded Up In Brong Ahafo

The Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Command have arrested over 51 persons including 11 women in a special operation at various Weed bases, drinking spots and suspected hideouts of criminals in some districts in the Region.

The operation is part of the Ghana Police Service's national exercise to clamp down on the activities of criminals.

Chief Inspector Augustine Kingsley Oppong, the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday in Sunyani.

He said suspects were arrested by the Police at Suma-Ahenkro and Sampa in the Jaman North District, Jema, Kintampo South District, Duayaw-Nkwanta, Tano North Municipality and Busunya, Nkoranza North District.

The rest were Nkrankwanta, Dormaa West District and Amasu, Dormaa Central Municipality, Chief Inspector Oppong added, and explained that they were found smoking dry leaves substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

He said quantities of wrapped dried leaves and whitish substances suspected to be Indian hemp and cocaine, smoke pipes, Laka, a local name for alcoholic drinks mixed with stuffs such as Indian hemp, Tramadol, matches, mobile phones, wooden benches, cooking utensils and unspecified amount of money and offensive weapons were found at those weed bases.

But all those items were seized by the Police for exhibit at the Court, Chief Inspector indicated.

He said even though suspects denied ownership of the items, they had been detained in the various districts' Police custody to assist Police investigations.

He lamented that 'Police is worried about the trend of the use of drugs by the general public'.

Chief Inspector Oppong noted that the use of drugs by some people, especially the youth had been the root cause of all criminal and evil activities in the society and the nation in general.

He said chemical sellers could not be arrested for selling Tramadol and other hard pain killer medications to the public, since they were prescribed drugs for reducing pains of particularly accident patients.

He said the use of those drugs was just being abused by some people, particularly criminals in committing crime.

Chief Inspector Oppong cautioned that the menace of drugs abuse would have serious negative implications on the youth in future and could consequently have implications for families and the entire nation.

GNA
By Regina Benneh, GNA