A Tamale Circuit Court, presided over by Francis Asubayere, has convicted Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, a 53-year-old pharmaceutical distributor, and fined him GH₵1,680,000—equivalent to 14,000 penalty units—on each charge, to run concurrently.
Alhaji Sayuti was convicted for unlawful possession of restricted drugs following an intelligence-led operation in Tamale. In default of payment, he will serve 25 years in prison.
He pleaded guilty to charges of possessing restricted drugs and the unlawful sale of such substances.
Sayuti was arrested during a crackdown on the illegal opioid trade in Tamale, where authorities discovered 447 boxes of tramadol (120mg) and 11 boxes of tramaking (120mg).
Monday’s conviction relates specifically to 336 blisters of tramadol (120mg) found on him near the Victory Cinema area.
Prosecutors are preparing to arraign him before the Tamale High Court in connection with the larger seizure of the 447 boxes of tramadol and 11 boxes of tramaking found during a follow-up operation.
The arrest followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by law enforcement as part of a broader campaign to disrupt the illicit drug supply chain in Tamale and surrounding communities.
The Northern Region has seen a worrying increase in illegal opioid use, prompting heightened action from the police and the local anti-drug task force.
Source: Martina Bugri
