A joint police team has destroyed cannabis plantations covering six acres at Akyeremanteng in the Okere District of the Eastern Region.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Drug Law Enforcement Unit, DLEU, of the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, of the Ghana Police Service, the Police Intelligence Directorate, PID, and other operational units in the Eastern Region.
The exercise followed the arrest of a suspect involved in the cultivation of the illegal substance on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The suspect, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, led the team to the farms. However, other individuals believed to be involved in the cultivation of cannabis escaped into the bush after being alerted by some residents of the presence of the police.
The operation resulted in the destruction of cannabis plants on two separate farms measuring two and four acres respectively. The farms were connected to the national electricity grid through illegal underground wiring and were fitted with irrigation systems.
In an interview with GBC News, the Director of the Ghana Police High-Risk Operations Training Centre, HROTC, Supt. Dr. Samuel Antwi-Akomeah, said cannabis cultivation requires substantial financial investment, making it challenging for individuals with limited financial resources to venture into it.
He added that the exercise forms part of efforts to destroy cannabis farms in the area and arrest perpetrators involved in the illegal trade. He assured the public of the Ghana Police Service’s commitment to tackling the illicit drug trade.
“Once Parliament has not approved the cultivation of Indian hemp in Ghana, trust me, if you are into its cultivation, we will come after you no matter who you are. What is not legal, we will not allow it to become legal”, he said.
Supt. Dr. Antwi-Akomeah further urged residents to volunteer information to the police to support the fight against drugs, assuring them that all information provided will be treated with confidentiality.
“To the general public, if you have any relevant information that will make our work easier, get us informed or involved, and trust me, I am assuring you, any information you give to us, it is 100% confidential. Nobody is going to know, he added.
The Eastern Regional Operations Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Agyare Okyere, said the exercise will be sustained to ensure that the area remains free from illegal cannabis cultivation.
“This assignment that we did today is not the end of it. We have the PIDs and the CID who are all on the ground who are gathering intel and all those things. As soon as we hear of anything, we will come in”, he said.
The joint police team identified the area as a major cannabis cultivation hub and indicated that intelligence gathering is ongoing to develop strategies to dismantle the network behind the operations and prevent its resurgence.
The suspect is expected to be arraigned before court for prosecution
