Eight Nigerians Arrested in Ghana Anti-Crime Operation

Authorities in Ghana have arrested eight Nigerians during a major security operation targeting drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the country’s Upper East Region.

The operation, carried out by the Ghana Police Service, also led to the arrest of dozens of other suspects from different West African countries following intelligence-driven raids in border communities and identified crime hotspots.

According to police authorities, the first raid was conducted on May 20 around Paga, a border town near Burkina Faso. Security operatives arrested 40 suspects, including men and women of different nationalities. Among those detained were Ghanaians, Nigerians, Burkinabés, a Malian, and a Togolese national.

Police said officers recovered suspected narcotic substances packaged in parcels and sacks, alongside several motorcycles allegedly used in distribution operations.

In another operation carried out two days later in the Navrongo Municipality, police arrested 34 additional suspects. Security personnel also seized more motorcycles, suspected drugs, and foreign cigarettes during the raids.

The suspects were later brought before a High Court in Ghana. Authorities confirmed that some of the accused persons were remanded in custody and are expected to return to court in early June, while others are still undergoing profiling and investigation.

The Ghana Police Service said investigations remain ongoing as officers continue efforts to identify and apprehend other individuals connected to criminal activities in the affected communities.

The latest crackdown comes months after Ghanaian authorities arrested dozens of Nigerians in Accra over alleged involvement in cybercrime and human trafficking-related offences. Officials had also rescued several victims reportedly held under abusive conditions during that earlier operation.

Security agencies in Ghana have recently intensified border surveillance and anti-crime enforcement measures as part of efforts to curb transnational organised crime and narcotics trafficking across the region.