Two arrested after alleged attempt to bribe police with GH¢30,000 in narcotics case

The Greater Accra Police Command has apprehended two men accused of attempting to bribe an officer with GH¢30,000 in a narcotics case. The suspects, Mark Bangel from Kpandai in the Oti Region and Zakaria Arafat from Kpando in the Volta Region, were identified after a truck they claimed belonged to them was intercepted by the Bravo SWAT Unit.

The unit, acting on intelligence, stopped a Kia Rhino truck, registration number GN 5581-13, near Achimota on Friday, September 11, 2026. The vehicle was suspected of carrying narcotic substances in Accra. After the occupants fled, a search of the truck found 175 compressed slabs of dried leaves suspected to be narcotics concealed in three sacks and three "Ghana Must Go" bags.

As part of the investigation, Bangel and Arafat arrived at the police headquarters and claimed ownership of the truck and the suspicious substances. They allegedly attempted to bribe the Bravo SWAT Unit Commander with GH¢30,000 to release the truck and the illicit drugs. The two were arrested, and the alleged bribe money was recovered.

Police are also searching for a third individual, Salam, who allegedly drove the truck and the narcotics from Kpandai to Accra. The suspects are now cooperating with the investigation, while the truck and narcotics remain in police custody as evidence.