The Police at Ashaiman last Tuesday made a big drug haul with the arrest of four persons who were in the process of concealing 1,668 slabs of compressed dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp in cartons labelled as fresh yam meant for export.
Two of the suspects, Ofori Malik, 35, and Richmond Atieku, 27, were initially arrested by the police in an uncompleted warehouse at Sebrepor in the Kpone Katamanso District, while repackaging the cartons of yam with the compressed parcels of Indian hemp.
Bribery attempt
In the course of their arrest, two other suspects, Kweku Bonsu, 47, a resident of Ashaiman but based in the United Kingdom and Edward Mensah alias Nana Yaw, 40, approached the police personnel and allegedly attempted to bribe them with of £1,900 cash in order to discontinue the arrest.
Items found on the suspects included a bowl of “Alata samina”, a weighing scale, two compressors, binding tape, and the £1,900 meant to compromise the police.
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ms Juliana Obeng, briefing the press, said the police at about 4 a.m. last Tuesday, June 21, 2016 received intelligence that the suspects were operating from the warehouse.
‘Alata samina’
She said a swoop on the suspects revealed that the suspects were repackaging the large yam cartons with the slabs of the compressed substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
According to the PRO, each of the compressed slabs was wrapped in plastic and later smeared with “alata samina” and covered with plain paper to subdue the smell of the Indian hemp.
The police PRO said investigations were ongoing to arrest the other members of the syndicate after which the suspects would be arraigned.
By: Graphic Online
