Police refuse GH₵50,000 bribe, seize 142 parcels of hemp
The Red Maria team stopped a van on the Bimbilla–Tamale road on 15 October and found 142 parcels of Indian hemp hidden in jute sacks. Four suspects, including the alleged owner, were arrested after officers refused a GH₵50,000 bribe; all were handed to the drug unit.
🇬🇭 Bimbilla–Tamale road, Northern Region · Ghana
- Arrested
- 4
Acting on intelligence about narcotics moving along the Bimbilla–Tamale road, the Northern Regional Police Command’s Special Operations Team, codenamed Red Maria, intercepted a mini commercial van, registration GW 7800-14, at about 6:30 pm on 15 October 2026.[1][2] A search found 142 compressed parcels of suspected Indian hemp concealed in four jute sacks of the kind traders call Ghana Must Go.[1][2]
The driver, 46-year-old Alhassan Zeblim, told investigators he was carrying the consignment to 34-year-old tricycle rider Ibrahim Yussif in Tamale; Yussif arrived at the meeting point with his brother Bawa Yussif, 56, and both were arrested, while 32-year-old Mohammed Haruna was later identified as the alleged owner and also detained.[1] During the operation the suspects allegedly offered the officers GH₵50,000 to let the shipment pass unreported; the team refused and proceeded with the arrests and seizure.[1][2]
The suspects, the hemp, the van and the tricycle were handed to the Regional Drug Law Enforcement Unit for further investigation; no court date has been disclosed.[1]
Sources
- Northern Police Reject GH₵50,000 Bribe in 142-Parcel Cannabis Bust. Chale News, 19 October 2026.
- Police arrest four, seize 142 parcels of suspected Indian hemp. Ghanaian Times, 20 October 2026. Archived copy.