Kumasi, Jan 31, GNA - The Kumasi police on have rounded up 17 suspected drug peddlers at Tinker, Mayanka, Ashanti New Town and the Stadium area in a dawn swoop.

During the operation, 39 wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and 55 wrappers of whitish substance believed to be cocaine were seized from the peddlers.

Briefing the press on the operations on Friday, Chief Superintendent of Police Paul Frimpong Siaw, the Ashanti Regional Crime Officer, gave the names of the suspects as Alhassan Mumuni, Amma Nyarko, Alidu Iddrisu, Baba Touji and Yaw Osei.

The others are Kwaku Osei, Kwabena Ofori, Mathew Alhassan, Osei Kwaku, Kofi Frimpong and Yaro Builsa.

The rest are Salia Alhassan, Murana Alhassan, Rafiq Abdulai, Kande Wahabu, Janet Arthur and Kwabena Acheampong.

Chief Superintendent Siaw said these places were notorious for the peddling of hard drugs and that the suspects were in police custody pending further investigations and prosecution.

The Regional Crime Officer said following the completion of a dossier on drug peddlers and criminals in the metropolis, the police and military have commenced intensive operations to flush out these social deviants until the metropolis became safe for peace among residents.

He express gratitude to residents of the metropolis who had given very vital information which led to the arrest of the suspects and called on Kumasi residents not to sympathise with criminals but give out information that would lead to the arrests of more criminals.