Cynthia Lichonja with the supposed drugs
A 30-year-old Zimbabwean woman has been arrested for allegedly trafficking 7.5 kilograms of cocaine through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra.
Cynthia Lichonja was apprehended by officials of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) when she was going through arrival formalities at the country’s biggest airport.
A search in her checked-in luggage in her presence led to the discovery of seven parcels of brownish powdery substances suspected to be narcotics, concealed in false compartments of the suitcase.
NACOB, in a statement issued on Monday, December 3, 2018, said operatives at KIA apprehended the Zimbabwean woman when she disembarked from an Ethiopian Airways flight.
The statement, issued by the Communication and Media Relations Unit of NACOB, stated that the substance tested positive for Speedball, a narcotic substance with a weight of 7.5kg.
The suspect admitted that the suitcase was given to her by one Ms. Patience, her childhood friend in Zimbabwe, to be sent to an unknown person in Accra.
She stressed that the supposed owner of the suitcase bought the air ticket for her to travel to Accra.
Ms. Lichonja is currently on remand, while officials of NACOB say they have also launched a manhunt for the said Ms. Patience and her accomplice to whom the suitcase was to be delivered.
By Vincent Kubi