A Tamale Circuit Court, presided over by Francis Asubayere, has convicted Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, a 53-year-old pharmaceutical distributor, and fined him GH₵1,680,000, equivalent to 14,000 penalty units, on each charge expected to run concurrently.

Alhaji Sayuti was convicted for unlawful possession of restricted drugs following an intelligence-led operation in Tamale. In default of payment, he will serve 25 years in prison.

He pleaded guilty to the charges of possessing restricted drugs and the prohibited sale of restricted drugs.

Sayuti was arrested during a crackdown on the illegal opioid trade in Tamale, where authorities discovered 447 boxes of tramadol (120mg) and 11 boxes of tramaking (120mg).

Monday's conviction relates specifically to 336 blisters of tramadol (120mg) found on him around the Victory Cinema area.

Prosecutors are preparing to put him before the Tamale High Court in connection with the larger seizure of 447 boxes of tramadol and 11 boxes of tramaking found in a follow-up operation.

The arrest was the result of weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by law enforcement as part of a campaign to disrupt the illicit drug supply in Tamale and surrounding areas.

The Northern Region has experienced a rise in illegal opioid use, prompting significant arrests by police and the local anti-drug task force.