The impounded dried leaves
Officers at the Nyive Sector Command of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) in the Volta Region have intercepted 2,497 slabs of substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
The substances which were intercepted at Atikpui, a border community along Ghana’s boundary with the Republic of Togo in the Ho municipality, were hidden in industrial sacks.
The Public Relations Officer of the Volta Regional Command of the GIS, Inspector Felix Klu Adjei, who confirmed the incident, said the operation happened on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at about 8 o’clock in the morning.
He added that after the necessary processes were completed, the exhibits were handed over to the Narcotics Control Board on Thursday, July 28, 2022.
The Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI), Joanna S.A. Agbeti, Commander for Shia Border Post narrated that the suspects were conveying the suspected Indian hemp from Ghana to Togo using an urvan bus.
Sector Commander for Nyive, Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Abdulai Zakaria while handing over the consignment to the Narcotics Control Board team from their Head Office, Accra, said his office received intelligence of the movement of the illegal substance.
The information they had was that due to the nature of the unapproved route being used, the vehicle of the suspects got stuck at some point. To this end, they decided to offload the vehicle to allow it to cross the unmotorable area.
According to ACI Zakaria, their informant discovered the sacks when the suspects were offloading the contraband, and notified them.
He said after the Command received “signal about the movement of the goods, a team moved in. However, the suspects absconded before the team could reach the spot.” It is not clear if the team escaped with some of the substance or left all of it behind.
ACI Zakaria thanked the informants and urged residents in the region, especially those living along Ghana’s boundary with Togo, to cooperate and collaborate with the service in the fight against illicit activities especially, illegal movement of goods and humans that will put Ghana at risk.
In 2021, the Ghana Immigration Service in the Volta Region intercepted over 3,000 parcels of illegal drugs. Some 760 illegal immigrants were also arrested and repatriated to their various countries between 2021 and first quarter of 2022.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)