The Upper West Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Sankpal Dafaari Kelvin, has expressed frustration over what he describes as weak penalties for offenders in the illegal drug trade, following a near-violent operation to clamp down on Tramadol abuse in the Sissala East Municipality.
Speaking at a sensitisation event for schoolchildren on July 18, Dafaari recounted a May 30 raid in Nabulo where a shop was busted for selling only unregistered drugs, including the banned Tramadol 500mg. Despite the severity of the offence, the convicted suspect was fined just GH¢1,920—far below the maximum penalty allowed under the Public Health Act.
Dafaari, visibly disheartened, questioned the justice of spending nearly GH¢7,000 in operational costs only to see the offender walk away with a minimal fine. He warned that unless tougher sentences are enforced, the FDA’s fight against drug abuse could lose momentum.
“Is this judgment fair? If I decide not to fight Tramadol again, am I wrong?” he asked.
