A total of 136 suspects arrested during the recent swoop operations in the Ahafo Region were on Thursday, November 13, 2025, remanded into prison custody after being arraigned before the Tafo and Atasamanso Circuit Courts.
They are expected to reappear on November 28, 2025.
The suspects form part of the 486 individuals transported from the Ahafo Region following large-scale operations conducted by joint police and military teams aimed at clamping down on criminal activity and restoring security in targeted communities.
The court appearance followed a thorough screening exercise carried out by police investigators earlier in the day.
During the screening, it emerged that several individuals arrested during the swoop were not connected to any offence.
These included passengers who were forced to alight from commercial vehicles during the operation and later presented their travel tickets to confirm their identities, as well as juveniles, students, teachers, nurses and other professionals who were picked up from their homes. All such persons were profiled and released on enquiry bail after verification.
Police further disclosed that 21 foreign nationals intercepted during the operations have been detained. They are expected to be handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) on Friday, November 14, 2025, for investigations into their immigration status and any related offences.
Following the court proceedings, the Ghana Prisons Service indicated that the Kumasi Central Prisons had reached full capacity. As a result, 132 of the remanded suspects are to be transferred to the Sunyani Central Prisons. Arrangements are underway to transport them under armed escort using two Black Maria vehicles.
The swoop operations, carried out in the early hours of November 12, 2025, also saw significant arrests in the Ashanti South Region. By 1:20 p.m. that same day, 286 suspects picked up in Ashanti South had been arraigned before the Tafo and Atesamaso Circuit Courts.
They were remanded to reappear on November 27, 2025. An additional 76 suspects from the same operation remain in police custody and are scheduled to be arraigned on November 13, 2025.
The coordinated operations across the Ashanti South and Ahafo Regions follow recent attacks on anti-illegal mining enforcement teams, including personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Security agencies have intensified efforts to restore law and order while locating perpetrators behind the attacks and other associated criminal activities.