A police officer stationed at the Sakasaka Police Station, G/L/Cpl Shani Abdullai, has been suspended by the Ghana Police Service after being arrested for possessing restricted pharmaceutical substances.

The arrest occurred on Saturday, May 3, in Kpalsi, a suburb of Tamale, Northern Region, during a special operation led by the Tamale citizen-led Anti-Tramadol Taskforce.

The operation targeted the illegal sale of highly addictive opioids, commonly known as “red.” During the operation, Abdullai was found with six boxes of tramadol, a restricted opioid.

The arrest prompted the Ghana Police Service to issue a statement confirming Abdullai’s suspension, which is intended to allow a thorough investigation into his conduct, in line with Police Service regulations.

"The Ghana Police Service has interdicted G/L/Cpl Shani Abdullai, for being in possession of restricted pharmaceutical substances at Kpalsi, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region," the statement read.

"His interdiction is to allow for a thorough investigation into his conduct in line with Police Service regulations."

Alhaji Naziru Gbarigbari, Chairman of the Anti-Tramadol Taskforce, revealed that their intelligence indicated Abdullai had over 1,500 boxes of tramadol in his possession, though only six boxes containing 125mg doses were recovered during the operation.

Gbarigbari explained, “Even though he mentioned having Tramadol 225mg when interacting with our undercover agent, we found only 125mg on him. We’re still interrogating him to know where he’s keeping the 225mg.”

Abdullai initially denied being involved in the illegal drug trade and even attempted to use his position to intimidate the taskforce. However, he was eventually outsmarted by the team.

During subsequent interrogations, Abdullai admitted to engaging in the illicit trade, citing financial difficulties as his motivation for doing so.

The Ghana Police Service has vowed to thoroughly investigate the matter, and the outcome of the inquiry will determine the next steps regarding Abdullai’s future within the force.

The interdiction highlights the importance of maintaining integrity within the police force, particularly in the fight against the illegal trafficking of controlled substances.