The Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has arrested six suspects during a late-night enforcement operation targeting the sale of illicit and unregistered products at Nungua.
The coordinated raid, conducted last Friday night (July 3, 2026) by officers of the FDA with support from the police, targeted three entertainment venues in the Nungua Katamanto area: Space Station Lounge and Night Club, Italian Boy Lounge, and Liquid Zero Pub.
It forms part of intensified enforcement efforts against the illegal sale of controlled substances and unregistered products as part of the FDA's mandate to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of products on the Ghanaian market.
Intelligence, surveillance
Speaking after the operation, a member of the FDA's Tobacco and Substances of Abuse Directorate, Nana Kwame Dartey, said the exercise followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
He said the FDA received credible information that the establishments were allegedly selling illicit products, including nitrous oxide—commonly known as "laughing gas"—as well as unregistered products and Benylin cough syrup containing codeine.
"We had prior intelligence and surveillance which revealed that these facilities were selling illicit products such as nitrous oxide, unregistered products, and Benylin with codeine. That informed today's enforcement operation," he said.
Mr Dartey disclosed that two suspects were arrested at each of the three facilities, bringing the total arrests to six.
The suspects have since been handed over to the Tema Community 2 District Police Station for further processing and investigations.
Routine
Mr Dartey explained that such operations form part of the authority's routine enforcement activities aimed at protecting public health.
"We conduct these inspections regularly. During the day, we visit pubs and restaurants, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays.
At night, we continue the exercise by targeting facilities that operate late.
Our surveillance enables us to identify outlets dealing in illicit products," he stated.
Mr Dartey stressed that the crackdown was necessary because of the illegal nature of the products and the significant health risks associated with their abuse.
He issued a strong warning to individuals and businesses involved in the sale and distribution of illicit substances.
"Our message is simple: stop engaging in this illegal trade.
We are not resting.
We will continue to track down those involved and remove every illicit product from the market to safeguard public health," he warned.
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