Driver's
mate charged with possession of narcotics drug
Businessman arrested at airport with marijuana
Accra (Greater Accra) 10 March 2000
An Accra
Regional Tribunal on Wednesday remanded in custody John Mensah Kodzo, a
driver's mate, charged with possession of narcotics drug without lawful
authority.
Kodzo, 22, pleaded not guilty.
Mr Johanes Vegba of the Attorney-General's
Office told the tribunal chaired by Mr Justice B.O.Tetteh that Kodzo reported
at the Customs of the Accra General Post Office on 22 December, last year, to
export some items.
They were
five tins of a substance alleged to be palm nut soup and some pepper wrapped in
a polythene bag.
The prosecutor said the customs officer
removed the cellotape and then opened two of them in the presence of the
accused and found that they contained some substance wrapped in a brown tape,
which was suspected to be narcotic drug.
Mr Vegba said the five tins of the
suspected narcotic drugs and the alleged polythene bag of pepper were sealed in
the presence of Kodzo and were sent to the Ghana Standard Board for
examination.
After the
examination, some of the substances tested positive for cannabis and weighed
two kilograms, while the rest tested positive for cocaine and weighed 6.2
grams.
GRi../
Accra
(Greater Accra), 10 March 2000
Mr. Anwar James Coffie, a 31year old Ghanaian
businessman was on Thursday arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA),
for attempting to export four kilogramms of marijuana to Moscow.
An Aviation Security Officer
arrested him at the last checkpoint on his way to board an Aeroflot flight for
Moscow.
The stuff had been compressed and
sewn onto a cloth strapped on his body with elastic bands.
He told newsmen he bought the
substance for 200,000 cedis from a drug peddler who processed and compressed it
for him.
Mr. Coffie said he is married with
three children and operates a communications centre and transport services but
was compelled to attempt smuggle the drug due to financial problems.
The Security Officer said he became
suspicious from the way he was walking and behaving and decided to give him a
thorough search.
Warrant Officer Vincent Tetteh,
Aviation Security Manager, stressed the determination of the Aviation security
track down drug dealers and smugglers who use the airport for their nefarious
activities.
He said KIA's hard earned category
one status would not be compromised and warned drug dealers using the airport
that they would be flushed out.
GRi