By Anna Claudia Duker
The Ministry of Health in partnership with The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has safely disposed of a significant quantity of unregistered, high-strength opioid drugs that were illegally imported into Ghana.
A total of 230 cartons of opioids were destroyed in the exercise which was undertaken at a private incinerator at Katamanso, near Ashiaman, in the Greater Accra region.
The consignment of undeclared opioid pharmaceuticals, worth GH 20 million, was purportedly in transit to the land-locked West African state, Niger.
The destruction exercise follows a court order secured by the FDA after the drugs were seized during a joint inspection operation conducted on March 14, 2025.
The operation involved the Ghana Revenue Authourity (GRA) Customs Division, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), National Security, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authourity (GPHA).
Also present at the destruction was the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FDA, Dr Delese Mimi Darko),and the Ministry of environment, science and Technology .
The seized drugs included: 10 cartons of Rahol Tapentadol (250mg), 128 cartons of Tafradol Tapentadol (120g), Timaking Tapentadol 92 cartons.
Mr Akandor stated after the safe disposal of the consignment, the government was going further to interrogate and investigate the client, agent and the importer.
He disclosed, information they have gathered indicate that the importer is not a Ghanaian. The goods were being transported to Niger.
‘We are in touch with the Niger government to know whether or not they okayed such a consignment into their country’ the Minister said.
The Minister said, if the Niger government approved such a consignment, the borders, ports and our airports will never be used as a haven.
Tapentadol is a powerful opioid used for severe pain management, and its unregulated importation raise major public health and safety concerns.
He stressed the ministry had waged a war against the influx of opioids in the country and would continue to monitor whatever was going on at the ports and harbours.
Mr Akandor reiterated that only the Kotoka International Airport and the Tema Port had been designated for the import and export of drugs, as such the government had instructed the security agencies, including the Customs Division of GRA, to impound whatever drugs they got at any of the land borders.
He said Customs Officials had been instructed to hand over the culprits to the office of the Attorney-general once they finished the investigation to pave the way for their prosecution.
On her part, Mrs Delese Darko (CEO) of FDA said, the move is part of broader efforts to clamp down on the trafficking of illicit pharmaceuticals and protect public health in Ghana.
According to her, they have increased their border presence, the airport and now working 24 hours. She disclosed opioids are strong painkillers or narcotics and when used over time, a person using opioids can become tolerant and addictive, paving the way for its side effects, such as drowsiness, euphoria, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing and constipation to hold sway.
Dr Darko further said, they can develop opioid use disorder, with the risk of overdose and death.
The CEO added many advanced countries consider the drug risky so they put measures in place to control it, and many others are banning it.
She added, Tafradol, for instance, is a combination of the very addictive painkiller, Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, is known to be a strong muscle relaxant.
She stated, ‘we are going to start working 24 hours at the airport, so that our consignment cards are not evaded’.
