Two Men Jailed 20 Years Each for Illegal Tramadol Possession in Ghana’s North East Region
Mumuni Iddrisu and Alhassan Braimah have been sentenced to a total of 20 years imprisonment each by the Nalerigu Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit a crime and possessing restricted drugs without lawful authority, following their arrest in a major bust in the North East Region.
The duo was apprehended on September 18, 2025, at Gbintiri near Nalerigu during a joint operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).
Authorities intercepted two trucks—registration numbers GR 1712-16 and AW 4417-14—from Sankase in Togo, uncovering 1,195 boxes of tramadol hydrochloride (120mg), a controlled opioid known locally as “Red.” While 100 boxes were in their direct possession, over 4,500 additional packs were hidden in 25 yellow five-litre gallons.
Iddrisu and Braimah pleaded guilty upon arraignment. Presiding Judge Justice Francis Asobayire imposed 10 years per count, to run consecutively, plus a fine of 5,000 penalty units (GH¢60,000). Non-payment would add another 10 years.
The other four suspects—Yakubu Muntaka, Abdulai Shakur, Mumuni Yakubu, and Moses Ayorik—were discharged due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
Police praised the Nalerigu Youth Association and local residents for their tips, which aided the raid, and reiterated zero tolerance for illicit drug trafficking. This case highlights Ghana’s intensifying crackdown on tramadol abuse, a growing concern amid rising opioid misuse among youth.
