Five people have been arrested by the National Highways Patrol team for allegedly possessing 113 parcels of Indian hemp on the Accra-Tema motorway on Thursday dawn.
Raphael Agbe, 49, driver; Alfred Tetteh, 36, driver’s mate; Selassie Agbolu, 50, owner of the narcotic drugs; Prosper Zanu,45 and Elorm,25 who were on board a KIA Rhino truck with registration number GS 5491-13 were reported to have concealed the drugs in sacks of okro bound for Accra.
Police source claimed the suspects attempted to bribe the personnel of the patrol team with GHؒ¢16,460 but that was rejected.
The suspects are in the custody of the police assisting in investigations, the Director-General of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah told the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
He said on October 3, at about 1:30 p.m. the patrol team during their routine checks on the Accra-Tema highway intercepted the vehicle driven by Agbe with other four occupants.
COP Mensah said during interrogation, Agbe told them the goods were okro which were meant for the owner in Accra.
He said upon thorough search, it was realised that the substance suspected to be Indian hemp were found in three sacks concealed in the okro sacks.
The Director-General stated that the driver told the police that the owner was ready to offer them any amount of money to release the goods and free them.
He said Agbolu, attempted bribing the police with GH¢16,460 but was rejected and he was arrested.
COP Mensah said the suspects had since been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Accra including
the exhibits of the drugs and vehicle.
He said the drugs would be sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.
The Director-General indicated that the suspects would soon be arraigned.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
N/B: WEE GANGS/SAMBA 3/10/2019/PHOTO BACK UP
