The Upper West Regional Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against illicit narcotics, seizing 192 compressed parcels of cocaine in the regional capital, Wa. The landmark bust, described by authorities as the first of its kind in the region, resulted in the arrest of two key suspects linked to an expanding drug trafficking network.

The primary suspect, a 26-year-old driver's mate named Abdulai Isaac, was apprehended on September 6, 2026, at the ESP Bus Terminal in Wa. His arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that a massive consignment of drugs was being transported from Kumasi through the Bole enclave into the Upper West Region. Following surveillance along the suspected route, police intercepted Isaac and discovered the compressed parcels concealed inside his backpack.

During interrogation, Isaac’s capture led police to a second suspect, Iddrisu Kamaldeen, who admitted to being one of Isaac's regular buyers. On September 14, officers from the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission conducted a field test on the exhibits in the presence of the suspects and their families, confirming the substance as cocaine.

Both men have since been arraigned before the Wa Court and remanded in police custody, with their next appearance scheduled for October 9, 2026.

Addressing the media, Regional Police Commander DCOP Francis Yiribaare emphasized that authorities are actively probing whether this massive haul signals a new dimension of drug trafficking in the region. He revealed that police are intensifying their ground intelligence to dismantle the entire network.

DCOP Yiribaare also issued a stern warning to commercial transport operators, cautioning that any vehicle owner found complicit in allowing their cars to be used as carriers for narcotics will face severe legal consequences, including the potential forfeiture of their vehicles to the state