Tema, Aug. 25, GNA - In a bid to flush out illicit drug dealers and criminals in the Tema Police Region, various Police districts mounted swoops in Ashaiman, Prampram, Ada and Tema Newtown on Wednesday, and arrested 26 drug peddlers, smokers and loiters in the operational areas. Briefing newsman on the operations in Tema, Police Chief Inspector Yaw Nketia-Yeboah, Regional Public Affairs Officer at Ashaiman said, 10 suspects were arrested. One of the suspects Awudu Osman, a 21-year-old butcher was arrested with a wrapper of leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

He said the fleeing suspects also abandoned 48 wrappers in various containers at the scene. The operation covered Ashaiman Market Square, New Tulaku and Abease/Old Tulaku areas.

Chief Inspector Nketia-Yeboah said at Kasseh in the Ada District, eight suspects were arrested in two locations. Ali Baba, a 48-year-old butcher was arrested with 19 parcels, 29 wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, a pair of scissors and a lighter. A matches box, containing ashes suspected to be from hard drug was retrieved from Koranteng Henanawompeh, aged 28.

He said Henanawompe's wife, Emma Agbovie, 24 years was also arrested for using her premises as a base for drug peddlers. Chief inspector Nketia-Yeboah said at Awudum, a suburb of Tema Newtown that, three suspects were arrested for loitering in an area, known to be a drug base. A brown plastic bowl containing seeds and sticks suspected to be Indian hemp, small quantity of a powdered substance, suspected to be cocaine, two pairs of scissors, one GDM digital mobile phone and 100,000 cedis were abandoned at the scene.

Chief Inspector Nketia-Yeboah disclosed that at about 1930 hours, the Prampram Police mounted a swoop at Lower Prampram, a suburb of Prampram and arrested five persons in possession of Indian hemp. He said suspect Regina Nimoha, a 64-year-old fishmonger was arrested in possession of seven wrappers of dried leaves, suspected to be Indian hemp and an amount of 13,000 cedis. She had hidden the exhibits, which she was suspected to be selling in her cloth. Suspect Abraham Wayo, a 17-year-old student/fisherman was arrested at the scene.

Suspects Forson Ntreh, 32, a mason, Aaron Quainoo, 47, care-taker of a bungalow and Hanson Tetteh, 25, fisherman, were also arrested at another part of Lower Prampram in an act of smoking a substance suspected to be India hemp, the Tema Regional Public Affairs Officer added.