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Six Nigerians and two Ghanaians have been arrested by the Police in Ashanti Region for possessing and selling unauthorised sexual enhancement drugs.

The suspected Nigerians are Mohammed Mansour, 18; Abukari Osman, 20; Adamu Seidu, 22, Mahamadu Ibrahim Nurudeen, 22, Abubakari Ibrahim, 24, and Abdul-Salam Abubakari, 30.

Their Ghanaian counterparts are Margaret Mensah also known as Akua, 25, and Samira Abdul Kadir, 30.

Addressing journalists here, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Director, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, said that the Police Drug Law Enforcement Unit in collaboration with Officials of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) through a special operation, arrested the six Nigerians on July 3, 2017 for selling unauthorised drugs.

She said the six revealed to the Police during investigations that Margaret and Samira supplied the drugs to them, and the Police arrested Margaret and Samira at their shops on July 5, 2017, at French-line near Alabar in Kumasi.

ASP Obeng told the court that a search by the Police at the shops revealed quantities of assorted unregistered drugs.

He said the drugs were labeled Tramadol 225ml, Ibuglo plus, Davegra 150, Vargra Extra 150, Black Cobra 150, and other liquids in bottles labeled in Chinese language and Hausa locally called “Awonche,” meaning “wash your heart.”

Margaret and Samira admitted selling the drugs to the Nigerians, which were imported from Togo.

ASP Obeng said the suspects are in Police custody assisting in investigations as the drugs are being analysed.

The Principal Regulatory Officer of FDA in the Ashanti Region, Nora Narkie Terlabie, advised the public against the abuse of unauthorised and un-prescribed drugs because they were dangerous to the body.

She said, “the FDA would want to further emphasise on the abuse of Tramadol, popularly known as “ Tramol” that it is a prescription (medicine) only used to treat moderately severe pain, even though it is not classified as a narcotic drug in Ghana. It has narcotic-like effects like Morphine, Codeine and Pethidine, it works by acting on the brain directly where it decreases perception of pain.”

Ms Narkie observed that, lately the youth, especially young men have been abusing the drug by taking high doses before sexual activities, to delay ejaculation and give them stamina to perform for longer period.

Ms. Terlabie said the abuse of Tramadol could cause difficulty in breathing, low heart rate, which may lead to fainting, dizziness and seizures.

She said it could also cause addiction and physical dependence whereby the body would not function properly without the medicine.