This follows their arrest at the Kotoka International Airport on January 20, 2025, by officials of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).

The accused persons (names withheld) are alleged to have concealed the drugs in two suitcases.

The Court, presided over by Justice Mrs. Kizita Koowa Quarshie, remanded the accused, all females, to reappear on February 11, 2025.

It, however, did not take their pleas as the facts and charges were also not read out.

Additionally, the trial judge asked the accused persons to secure lawyers to defend them in court.

A Senior State Attorney, Mr. Watkins Adamah, prayed the Court to remand the accused persons into lawful custody.

“This morning, our prayer humbly is to cause the remand of the first, second, and third accused persons into the custody of NACOC pending investigations.”

Mr. Adamah held that the first and second accused persons were South Africans who traveled through Rwanda to Ghana and “they were found in possession of identical suitcases which had over 16 kg of methamphetamine, a narcotic drug, concealed in their suitcases.”

He said, “Control delivery involving the first and second accused led to the arrest of the third accused person, a Nigerian who had traveled from Nigeria to Ghana and she met the first and second accused persons with similar suitcases to swap them for the narcotic drugs.”

The State Attorney said other people had been mentioned, and NACOC had an interest in the matter, with further investigation required.

According to him, the State would also want the Ghana Standards Authority to confirm the nature of the narcotic substances retrieved from the accused persons.

The Court therefore remanded the accused for two weeks.

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The case had been adjourned to December 20, 2023, for them to come back to court.

The court, presided over by Mrs. Eleanor Kakra Banes Botchway, said their plea for bail was considered because they were Police Officers and well known in the community.

The prosecution, ASP Ernest Kuofie said the complainants were police officers at Afienya.

The accused person, Amadu, 48 years old, is currently the second in command at Sakumono District Police Headquarters with Mintah.

He said Mintah, aged 43, was working under him at the station as a service driver on November 19.

The complainant was performing snap check duty when they picked up intelligence that a Nissan Navara vehicle with registration number GP 727 was loaded with narcotic drugs from Ho towards Accra.

ASP Kwofie said that about 1915 hours the same day, the accused persons pulled up at the snap check point where they were intercepted. A search conducted in the vehicle revealed eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of substances believed to be narcotic drugs.

The prosecution said the investigation revealed that Mintah had a family relation named Oluman, a resident of Ashaiman Tulaku, who traded in narcotics.

The prosecution said that on November 19, Mintah was procured by the said Oluman to assist him in transporting a quantity of Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku for a fee. Mintah then contacted Amadu about the deal, and he also contacted the said Oluman to agree on the terms of engagement.

He said upon striking a deal with Oluman, the accused persons drove vehicle No. GP 727 from Sakumono to a forest around Peki Tsibu, where they received the exhibits from a waiting Benz bus.

The prosecution said it was in the course of transporting the illicit drugs that police picked up intelligence and arrested them.

It was detected that the incident on November 19, 2023, marked the second time the accused persons were engaged in such an illegal act.

The exhibits have been examined by the forensic crime laboratory, which is yet to submit a test report.

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They both pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The case was adjourned to July 25, 2023, for the suspects to reappear.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Vincent Kpodo, Prosecuting, told the Court presided over by Alfred Kwabena Asiedu that the complainant was an Assemblyman.

He said on May 24, 2023, Agbele was in charge of a Benz bus container with registration number GT 8496-N travelling from Hohoe to Dormabin.

ASP Kpodo said Sakyi, who was also in the same vehicle, was the driver’s mate.

He said upon reaching the Asukawkaw Bridge, the vehicle veered off the road and got involved in an accident.

ASP Kpodo said the complainant, hearing of the accident, rushed to the scene and realised that there were sacks inside a secret compartment in the Benz bus which had broken down as a result of the accident.

He said some of the said sacks were also seen scattered on the road, which the Assemblyman quickly packed to prevent people from stealing them

ASP Kpodo said the Assemblyman subsequently informed the Police about the incident.

He said the Police rushed to the scene and found 12 sacks and ten parcels of the wrapped Indian hemp that were retrieved from the accident vehicle.

ASP Kpodo said Police proceeded to the Asukawkaw Clinic and arrested the suspects who had been treated and discharged as a result of the accident.

He said the Police rushed to the scene and found 12 sacks and ten parcels. of the wrapped Indian hemp that was retrieved from the accident vehicle.

ASP Kpodo said Police proceeded to the Asukawkaw Clinic and arrested the suspects who had been treated and discharged as a result of the accident.

He said the suspects in their investigation caution statements to police denied any wrongdoing. ·
ASP Kpodo said the suspects mentioned one Selasie Zigah of Hohoe as the owner of the vehicle who sent them to load charcoal at Dormabin and was not aware of the content of the vehicle.

He said efforts were being made to get the said owner of the vehicle, who had since gone into hiding, arrested for investigations.

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• 

The four suspects, Ntow Prince, Felix Owusu, Jery Quartey and Daitey Mashack, were arrested during a police intelligence operation on January 5, 2023.

The suspects were nabbed while discharging sacks of the compressed plant materials into a boat at the seaside at Sege.

During the arrest, suspect Daitey Mashack, who is the Assemblyman of the area, attempted to bribe the arresting officers with an amount of GH₵ 20,000.

The loaded truck with the substances has been impounded at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters together with the attempted bribe money.

The four suspects were subsequently put before the Ashaiman Circuit Court on Friday, 6th January 2023, where they have been remanded into Police custody to re-appear on 23rd January 2023.

Blessing Jeremiah believed to be a Nigerian had tried to smuggle the items concealed in food for her boyfriend who is on remand at Kaneshie Police Cell after he was arrested and charged with an offence.

According to reports, suspect, Bessing Jeremiah brought Eba and okro soup which was concealed with a dried substance suspected to be Indian Hemp, 4 sticks of matches, 9 capsules of suspected tramadol and 4 pieces of cigarettes.

The suspect upon interrogation told police she was bringing the exhibits to a remand prisoner Mohammed Bisbaw her fiancé but upon inspection, it was realised that there are some items concealed in them.

Upon further examination, it was revealed that there were some narcotics concealed in them leading to her arrest.

Blessing Jeremiah is in police custody and will soon be arraigned before court.

Speaking to Abeiku Santana on Okay FM, he stated that the Commission, on Monday, April 11, at about 8:00am picked him up, searched his home and later sent him to their office for interrogation.

“Well if you say you have done some drugs maybe you are hiding some there still. If they catch you with even one roll of weed in your house, the house would be confiscated. They educated me a lot,” Majid Michel said on Thursday.

He revealed that the officers told him his properties, especially his cars would have been seized because they would have assumed he used them to transport drugs.

On Asaase Radio, Majid Michel called on the government to legalise marijuana adding that weed does not pose a threat to people’s lives like other drugs including cocaine.

“I’ve never heard of anybody who has overdosed on weed… I’ve done things out of weed. I’ve done cocaine, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), I’ve done other drugs that if I told you right now, you’ll not be able to pronounce.”

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“These were years back and I didn’t struggle to overcome it. Maybe because of the smoke…maybe that’s why health-wise to smoke it’s not the best but to brew it, to drink it, I don’t see anything wrong with it. You drink teas, don’t you?”

However, he has stated that government must also be cautious before legalising it, including learning from other countries how the weed has been used for other purposes.

“I am for it completely, but then again before anything is legalized, the government must make sure that they are ready to take responsibility and must exhaust the consequences that come true with the legalization of ‘weed’ before the decision is made,” he has said

Meanwhile, Majid Michel has opined that the Commission took his comment out of context.

He stated that all his experiences with drugs are in his past. The actor added that he does not regret talking publicly about his experiences with drugs despite the arrest.

Majid stated that some journalists and media organisations need to be held accountable as well for their reportage on the matter.

The actor said that the Commission misunderstood him because of some of the headlines that made rounds in the media.

“I told the Commission that they need to hold some of the media persons accountable. They picked me up based on caption and headlines,” he argued.

The plea of Musah Muni, who was in the court for possessing illegal narcotics, and another accomplice, was however not taken and they would re-appear on January 28.

Rashida Alhassan, 33, a nursing mother, and alleged wife of the suspect, was not in court because she sent his child to the hospital.

Amidst wailing and sighing, Muni pleaded for pardon, but the court did not reverse its decision.

Prosecuting, Inspector Godwin Tekiy, told the court the suspects Muni and Alhassan were residents of Nkrankwanta and Yawowusukrom respectively in the Dormaa West District.

He said on January 12, this year, the police embarked on an operation and arrested the suspects, who were holding polythene bags containing dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp.

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On seeing the police, Alhassan hid the polythene bag on a lazy chair and laid her head on it, the prosecution said adding that made the police suspicious.

Inspector Tekiy said during a search in the bag, the police discovered a half parcel of dried leaves and another parcel on the roof of their room.

On the 12th of January 2022, police personnel, while on duty at the Weija toll booth station, noticed that smoke was emanating from the direction of the cells.

Immediately, the men on duty conducted a search in the cell and discovered a substance hidden in a blanket being used by inmates who are on remand.

Preliminary investigations pointed out that the substance suspected to be narcotics was delivered by suspect Christian Danso, through the ventilation hole behind the cells building.

The Weija Command subsequently arrested the suspect in his hide-out at Weija.

In his caution statement, he admitted to having committed the offence and demonstrated how he managed to deliver the substance through the ventilation hole at the back of the cell building.

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Investigations are still ongoing, and the suspect together with his other accomplices will be processed for court.

In default, Kwaku Tweneboah, will serve three years in prison as his action is contrary to section 41(2) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019).

Prosecutor General Sergeant Samuel Owusu said the complainants, in this case, are policemen stationed at the Akyem Oda Division whilst the convict is a porter at Oda.

He said on July 6, at about 11:00 am, the complainants, who were on motorbike patrolling the Oda township had a tip-off that the convict together with a group of young men had gathered at a location noted for drug peddling.

According to him, the police proceeded to the location where they found the convict and some other persons trading drugs.

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The suspects, he said, upon seeing the police bolted but were chased until the convict was arrested near a dilapidated wooden structure.

Sergeant Owusu said the convict threw away a black polythene bag in his possession. However, the officers retrieved it and found 51 wraps of narcotic plant suspected to be cannabis and an amount of GH¢7.00.

He was sent to the Oda Divisional Police Command where he was charged and arraigned.

Five suspects, including a woman, were arrested for allegedly dealing in narcotics and 287 wrapped substances believed to be Indian hemp (wee).

At a media briefing at Techiman on security issues at Bono East, Regional Police Commander, DCOP Moses Asabagna Atibillaon, revealed that intelligence gathered led to the arrest of the five at Dawadawa No.2.

He added that the dry substances and plants were stuffed in sacks as well as 71 pieces of wraps they sell to the public.

In another raid at Atakora, one Desmonf was arrested with dried and fresh plant materials and alcoholic drinks brewed with cannabis.

DCOP Atibillaon further announced that the Police have also arrested another gang at Techiman who are allegedly dealing in illegal ammunitions in the region and over 120 ammunitions were retrieved from them.

He disclosed that the police were aided by close persons who framed the suspects to a point where they were to be caught.

They, however, suspected foul play and took to their heels before the police could arrest them. They, however, abandoned their bag which contained the exhibits.

A search in the bag uncovered 76 pieces of 9mm live-size ammunitions and 50 pieces of small ones, as well as 21 BB cartridges.

DCOP Atibillaon urged the public to provide the Police with relevant information that can help combat crime and protect lives as well as property.

Two suspects, identified as 36-year-old John Paintsil and 38-year-old Margaret Ampomah from Mankessim, were arrested at the prison premises.

A third suspect also identified as Desmond Asamoah was later arrested in his home after the duo mentioned him as the sender.

The Central Regional Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, Supt Vincent Ziniel, confirmed the arrest in an interview with the Adom News.

He explained that the items were hidden in earthenware bowls locally known as apotoyewa and a wooden grinder, tapoli.

During interrogations, the suspects revealed they were convinced to smuggle the substance into the prison yard by Mr Asamoah , an ex-convict who was discharged in 2020.

Mr Paintsil amid tears denied knowledge of the suspected narcotics, stating he was only directed to assist Margarete in delivering the item whose contents he was not aware of.

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Margarete on her part also denied knowledge of the goods, adding she only brought food to the inmates and not the suspected weed.

Upon his arrest, Mr Asamoah feigned sickness and complained of chest pains.

When he was sent to the Elmina Police Station, he refused to talk and was later sent to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Supt Ziniel lamented this was the third time persons from Mankessim have been busted for the same offences.

He has, therefore, appealed to the general public not to receive items from people to be delivered to inmates without knowing the content of the items.

He has also appealed to the government to support the service with appropriate logistics and equipment to enable them to easily detect contraband items since they normally rely on their own expertise and discretion.

Watch the video above attached above:

The suspects; Daniel Newman Teye, 32 and Kwasi Kumi Otenpong (alias Timmy), 29, were on Thursday, 30th August 2018 arrested by operatives of NACOB when the former presented a package – a small speaker for postage.

The package, when scanned, was found to contain some foreign materials in it. The speaker was carefully dismantled in the presence of Teye and was found to contain three (3) small parcels of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug.

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A Press Release copied to Adom News indicates that the suspect, Teye during interrogation, denied ownership and knowledge of the speaker and its contents. He mentioned one Kwasi Kumi Otenpong (alias Timmy) as the owner of the items.

Teye subsequently led a team of officers to New Dawenya residence of Timmy where a search conducted in his premises revealed five (5) parcels and six (6) wrappers of suspected cannabis.

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Upon interrogation and investigation, Timmy admitted ownership of the speaker and its contents and those found in his living room. He also disclosed that he is a regular user of the narcotic herb and sells out to prospective buyers.

The exhibits have been sent to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for forensic examination and report.

The two are currently in prison custody pending further investigations and prosecution.

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NACOB admonishes the public to desist from delivering parcels for and on behalf of others, as it has been the conduit for trafficking narcotic drugs.

The public is also encouraged to voluntarily provide information leading to the successful arrest of persons suspected to be indulging in narcotics-related acts.

This was confirmed at the Municipal Security Council meeting last week by security officers who identified 25 ghettos within the municipality where drug peddlers engage in drug-related activities.

“It also came to light there were on sale to the public ‘wee’ toffees, ‘wee’ biscuits, ‘wee’ chewing gums and many others. My major worry and concerns are that the target customers of the producers of these products are the youth,” the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Ms Gladys Mann-Dede, stated.

She said this yesterday at the Greater Accra Regional celebration of this year’s World Drug Day, which falls on June 26 every year.

The high rate of narcotics use in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality, she said, informed the decision to organise the World Drug Day programme in the municipality, where a week-long programme, including a quiz and football gala, was organised to create awareness of the dangers of illicit drug use.

Ms Mann-Dede noted that the danger associated with the continuous production of narcotic-induced substances was that the youth patronised them without knowing the effect.

She said a recent report about the use of illicit drugs by the United Nations which cited Ghana among nations highly engaged in drug use could have a negative effect on the country’s image abroad.

Efforts

According to the MCE, the assembly would give much attention to fighting social challenges including the use of illicit drugs.

She said the assembly had started engaging stakeholders including the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, police, traditional authorities, religious bodies, non-governmental organisations and the media, to deal with the problem in its efforts to fight illicit drugs use.

Transit points

The Greater Accra Regional Commander of NACOB, Mr Roger Vanderpuye, said the 2016 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime named Ghana as the third country in Africa after Nigeria and South Africa among the top transit points for cocaine from South America en route to Europe and the US.

“The report again named Ghana as among the top four countries in Africa reported as the sources of cannabis herb to Europe,” he said and urged the country to take the appropriate steps to curb the menace.

He, therefore, called on Parliament to, as a matter of urgency, pass the NACOB Bill to give the board more powers to effectively do its work.

The Head of the Addictive Disease Unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Logosu Amegashie, urged the youth to stay away from drugs since they could destroy their lives.

He was convicted of possessing 607,514.21 grams of cannabis which he concealed in the tank of the water tanker he was driving.

The court, presided over by Mrs Lydia Osei Marfo, ordered the vehicle to be confiscated to the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and the transfer of name effected appropriately.

Consideration

In passing the sentence, the judge said she took into consideration the fact that the convict knew where he was sending the consignment but failed to lead the police there.

Again, she said the convict also admitted to the police that it was the second time he was carrying out the act.

Facts

The State Attorney, Ms Yvonne Adjimah Adjare, told the court that on August 5, 2015, the police, acting upon intelligence, arrested the convict in charge of the water tanker with registration number AS 4604-G at Kodie.

When the vehicle was searched, the police retrieved a total of 575 large slabs of compressed dried leaves and another 19 mini fertiliser sacks of the same substances, which later tested positive for cannabis.

Num said he was contracted by one ‘Koo’ in Yabraso in the Brong Ahafo Region to transport the goods to one ‘Red’ at Mamponteng in the Ashanti Region.