Four Ghanaians, including a woman, have been jailed in the United Kingdom (UK), for trafficking 38 kilogrammes (kg) of cocaine worth millions of pounds to that country.
Eric Kusi Appiah, 51; Jennifer Agyemang, 38; Albert Kaayire Gyamfi,52, and Julius Tetteh Puplampu,56, were busted at Heathrow Airport, UK, when they attempted to traffic narcotic drug from Ghana to UK, last year.
Appiah, who was arrested with 17 kg of cocaine worth £ 1.3 million, was jailed six years, Jennifer and Gyamfi,who were busted with 15kg cocaine worth £1.1million (street value), were jailed six years nine months and nine years respectively.
Puplampu, who was nabbed with six kg of cocaine, estimated at £480,000, was jailed six years six months.
The arrest was as a result of a joint operation by theNarcotic Control Commission (NACOC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK, headof Communications of NACOC,Mr Francis Opoku Amoah, disclosed to theGhanaian Times, in Accra, yesterday.
He said in 2021, NACOC investigated a syndicate, for trafficking cocaine from Ghana to UK through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Mr Amoah said it lead to the arrest of Appiah, in UK, on April 30,2021, at Heathrow Airport, for attempting to traffic into UK, 17kg of cocaine, worth £ 1.3 million, concealed in food boxes, and he(Appiah) was sentenced six years imprisonment.
Mr Amoah said the arrest of Appiah resulted in a joint operations between NACOC and NCA, UK, which led to the arrest of Gyamfi, Agyemang, and Puplampu.
Mr Amoah said on May 14, 2021, Gyamfi and Jennifer traveled through KIA to UK and they were arrested at Heathrow for attempting to traffic into UK, 15kg of cocaine worth £1.1million.
He said on August 13, last year, Pupulampu was arrested upon arrival at the Heathrow, when he attempted to traffic into UK 6kg of cocaine worth £480,000.
Mr Amoah said Pupulampo was jailed 10 years, in Ghana, in2012, for trafficking cocaine from Ghana to UK.
He said On December 7, 2021, two more individuals(names withheld)linked to the syndicate were arrested in Ghana for their involvement in the case.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
