NACOC arrests 10 KTU students over alleged cannabis-infused drinks, ice cream
According to NACOC, the operation targeted a suspected network believed to be producing and distributing cannabis-laced consumables to students and other patrons at the event.
The Narcotics Control Commission has arrested ten students of Koforidua Technical University over the alleged production and sale of cannabis-infused drinks and ice cream on campus.
The arrests were made during an intelligence-led operation carried out between Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, during the university’s SRC Hall Week celebrations.
According to NACOC, the operation targeted a suspected network believed to be producing and distributing cannabis-laced consumables to students and other patrons at the event.
The Commission said the suspected ringleader, 23-year-old Priscilla Tetteh, was arrested together with nine other students.
They were allegedly apprehended while selling the products on campus.
Preliminary investigations, according to NACOC, suggest that the group had developed an organised arrangement for producing and distributing cannabis-infused beverages and ice cream within the university community.
The Commission described the operation as part of efforts to disrupt an emerging criminal enterprise that was allegedly using social events and educational spaces to promote the abuse of narcotic substances among young people.
NACOC warned that cannabis-infused foods, drinks and other edible products containing controlled substances remain illegal under Ghanaian law.
It said persons involved in manufacturing, possessing, distributing or selling such products would be dealt with according to law.
The Commission also expressed concern about what it described as the growing commercialisation of narcotic substances among young people under the cover of entertainment and entrepreneurship.
It urged educational institutions to remain focused on learning, innovation and personal development, rather than becoming spaces for drug trafficking and substance abuse.
NACOC commended its officers for the intelligence gathering, surveillance and operational response that led to the arrests.
It said it would continue to conduct intelligence-led operations across the country to identify and dismantle networks involved in drug trafficking, especially those targeting students and vulnerable groups.
The Commission also called on parents, university authorities, student leaders and the public to report suspected drug-related activities.
The suspects remain in NACOC custody and are expected to be processed in accordance with the law.
