Acting on intelligence, the Upper West Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has apprehended a suspected drug peddler in Tumu within the Sissala East Municipality.
The individual, identified as Abdul-Razak Kudus, was taken into custody for vending unregistered herbal drugs in Tumu and its surroundings to unsuspecting consumers.
Mr. Kelvin Dafaari, the Acting Upper West Regional Head of the FDA, disclosed this information to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa.
The suspect, who operated Sawab Herbal in Wa, had registered Sawab capsules and Sawab ointment with the FDA. However, he was found to be selling about eight different unregistered products under the guise of the two registered items.
These unregistered products included Men Enlargement Tonic, Sawab Power Bitters, Sawab Koo Tonic, and Sawab T-Mala Mix, among others.
The suspect is currently in police custody and will face legal consequences under the Public Health Act.
“The most interesting thing is that all these medicines that he is selling are from one ingredient but with different labels that are kept on the products to sell.
“The herbal medicines are kept in different bottles, very dirty and not registered, and if you look at the expiring date on the drugs too, some of them have two varying expiring dates, one product with different expiring dates,” Mr Dafaari explained.
According to Mr. Kelvin Dafaari, the Acting Upper West Regional Head of the FDA, the suspect, Abdul-Razak Kudus, produced the unregistered herbal products in Wa but chose to sell them in Tumu to avoid routine inspections by the FDA. Kudus’ arrest brings the total number of people apprehended for drug peddling in the region this year to two.
Mr. Dafaari noted that the issue of drug peddling had reduced since the FDA began its operations in the region in 2011. While a few individuals had registered their herbal medicines, he emphasized that the FDA had streamlined the registration process, making it accessible for anyone wishing to manufacture and sell herbal medicine legally.
He cautioned residents against engaging in drug peddling, as violators of the Public Health Act would face severe sanctions when caught. Mr. Dafaari assured that although FDA staff might not be present in every part of the region, they were actively gathering intelligence and monitoring activities, and those apprehended would be subject to legal sanctions.