Twenty-two arrested over fake pharmaceutical drugs

Twenty-two persons involved in pharmaceutical crimes and medical product counterfeiting have been arrested at Ashiaman and Okaishie, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service said on Friday.

A statement signed by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Joseph B. Darkwa, Public Relations Officer- CID, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said, the arrest was effected during an operation dubbed: “Operation Porcupine,” seized different drugs.

Some of the drugs include 20,388 antibiotic tablet, 1,478 aphrodisiac tablets, quantities of anti-malaria drugs and local herbal preparations, declaring them as harmful to human health.

According to the statement, the operation was conducted by Interpol Ghana in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the CID, with support from Interpol General Secretariat Lyon, France on May 28 and 29, this year.

The statement quoted Mr. Prosper K. Agblor, Director-General of CID, as saying that the operation will be sustained and conducted regularly to get rid of unregistered and expired drugs.

According to him, persons who commit pharmaceutical crime and counterfeit medical products would be arrested and prosecuted.

It said persons arrested during the operation were being processed for court.