Police arrest driver at Lapaz over 70 suspected unregistered Tapentadol tablets

A 38-year-old driver, Fatawu Yakubu, has been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court after allegedly being found with 70 tablets of Royal Tapentadol 250 mg suspected to be unregistered.

Yakubu, who resides at Lapaz in Accra, is facing a charge of offering unregistered drugs for sale following his arrest during a police operation targeting suspected illegal drug activities in the area.

The court did not take his plea and ordered that he remain in police custody until November 3, 2026, when he is expected to reappear.

How the accused was arrested

Presenting the facts to the court, the prosecution explained that officers from the Inspector-General of Police's Special Operations Team conducted an operation at Nii Bio Town Junction in Lapaz on October 15, 2026.

The exercise, which began at approximately 2 p.m., was aimed at identifying and apprehending persons suspected of engaging in illegal drug distribution and related activities.

During the operation, police officers encountered Yakubu at a game centre, where he was arrested.

A search conducted on him allegedly uncovered 70 tablets labelled Royal Tapentadol 250 mg, which investigators suspected had not been registered for sale.

The tablets were subsequently seized as exhibits to assist with investigations.

Suspected drugs to undergo forensic examination

The prosecution informed the court that arrangements were being made to submit the seized tablets to the Police Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.

The laboratory analysis is expected to establish the nature of the substances and provide findings relevant to the ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, Yakubu remains in police custody following the court's remand order.

The charge against him has not been determined, and the prosecution's allegations remain subject to proof before the court.