Tamale: Suspected drug lord arrested collapsed in court

A joint security taskforce comprising the Police, Narcotics Control Commission, National Security, and the anti-drug task force has arrested a suspected drug lord, Alhaji Abdulai Sayuti, in Tamale.

The team discovered about 400 boxes of Tramadol 120mg and other variants at his warehouse in Fuo. Sayuti, who runs a chemical shop in Tamale, was also found with several boxes of the drug and other substances at his business premises.

He has since pleaded guilty to two charges: Possession of Restricted Drugs without Lawful Authority and Prohibited Sale of Restricted Drugs without Lawful Authority—before collapsing in court.

On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at about 3:20 p.m., Gandaa Meshark, Principal Regulatory Officer at the Food and Drugs Authority in Tamale, along with Alhassan Suleiman, Deputy Coordinator of National Security (Northern Region), arrested Sayuti and handed him over to the Drug Law Enforcement Unit. He was found with 368 blisters of Tramadol 120mg and 298 blisters of Tramaking 120mg. The arrest followed a tip-off from a local taskforce member that the suspect was selling restricted drugs to the public without prescription.

The seized drugs were taken from the suspect’s room and kept as evidence.

Further investigation led to the retrieval of 447 boxes of Tramadol 120mg and 11 boxes of Tramaking from a warehouse at Fuo.

Sayuti was arraigned before the Tamale Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Francis Asobayire, where he pleaded guilty and was convicted on his own plea.

Sentencing has been scheduled for July 21.