The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in collaboration and other partner institutions have safely disposed of a total of 4152 bottles of banned cough syrups, which contained codeine.

The exercise was undertaken in collaboration with the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB), the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

Mr Vigil Ashun-Prah, the Head of Drugs Market Surveillance Department of the FDA said the drugs have been concealed in duvets, packed in suitcases, backpacks and other traveling bags, impounded at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

He said the 4152 bottles of the codeine-containing cough syrups with a street value of GHS332, 160, were imported from South Africa in three different consignments by three different importers.

Mr Ashun-Prah said the suspects have been handed over to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and prosecution.

It could be recalled that the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu on September 26, last year issued an Executive Instrument banning the Importation, Manufacture and Registration of Codeine-containing cough syrups under section 116 of the Public Health Act, 2012.

The directive was to curb the growing trend of abuse of tramadol abuse among the youth in some parts of the country, which heightened within last year.

The safe disposal of the Codeine Cough Syrup was done at the Adepa Landfill Site, Nsawam with supervision from the Metropolitan Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency.