By A nine-member team from the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), in collaboration with 20 operations officers of the Ghana Prisons Service, conducted a security search at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in Nsawam, Eastern Region.
The operation, carried out on Sunday, April 14, 2024, aimed to locate and confiscate narcotic drugs within the facility.
Despite the thorough search, no narcotic drugs were found within or around the premises.
Accompanied by five security dogs, the NACOC officers combed through various areas including inmate quarters, workshops, classrooms, religious spaces, and medical facilities.
The search extended to the outer perimeter wall of the prison in an effort to uncover any concealed narcotic drugs.
The sniffer dogs were deployed throughout the cells and every section of the facility, yet they did not detect any narcotics.
Appreciation
Assistant Director of Prisons Andrews Osei, the Second-in-Command of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, conveyed gratitude to the NACOC officers for their efforts in conducting the exercise.
He pledged that the facility’s officers would maintain their regular searches to prevent narcotic drugs and other contraband from infiltrating the prison environment.
As per NCO Bernard Tetteh, the head of NACOC’s K9 unit and leader of the team, the consumption of narcotic drugs has emerged as a prevalent public health concern, particularly among the youth.
He noted that many users display symptoms such as anxiety, paranoia, nervousness, mental instability, heightened irritability, and anger, all of which have significant adverse effects on their mental well-being.
“The aim of this very exercise was to search and retrieve narcotic drugs in the prisons facility amid public opinion that prisons are breeding grounds for illegal drugs such as narcotics,” he emphasised.
He praised the authorities of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison for their valuable cooperation in facilitating the exercise.
Furthermore, he commended the management of the Prisons Service for their commitment to maintaining a narcotic-free facility, countering the common belief that there is a prevalence of narcotic drugs within prison facilities.
NACOC plans to expand the exercise to all prison facilities nationwide.
