National security operatives have arrested a trader suspected of supplying chemicals used in the preparation of the controversial Sukudai drink in Aboabo. The suspect was picked up after weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by security agencies investigating the circulation of the drink in parts of Kumasi.
Ashanti Regional Deputy Security Coordinator Njeh Abdallah Umar, who led the operation, described the presence of the drink on the streets as a national security concern.
According to him, an unusual pattern has been observed among those involved in selling the product. “The most interesting aspect is that those selling it will not drink it when asked to do so. Even if you force them, they will not. Yet the product has been in circulation for many years,” he said.
The arrest comes as health experts intensify warnings about the potential dangers associated with the drink.
Head of the Department of Pharmacology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Cynthia Ameni-Dankwa, cautioned that substances detected in the concoction could cause severe irritation and damage to vital organs, including the liver and kidneys.
Professor Ameni-Dankwa explained that further biomedical studies are being planned to fully understand the drink’s effects on the human body. The investigations will include detailed examinations of tissues, liver enzymes, blood cells, and other biological indicators.
Despite the ongoing research, she urged the public to avoid consuming the Sukudai drink due to the potential health risks.
Medical researchers warn that the corrosive chemicals in the concoction could damage the digestive system and, once absorbed into the bloodstream, may severely affect the liver and kidneys, potentially worsening Ghana’s growing kidney disease crisis.
Health data indicate that chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 14 to 17 percent of the population in Ghana, with many patients diagnosed during their most productive years.
At the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, more than 400 end-stage kidney patients are admitted every year, while over 1,000 people in Accra currently rely on dialysis to survive.
