The police at Prampram have seized a big haul of suspected Indian hemp in two separate operations.
One of the cases involved 43 maxi bags and three sacks of the banned substance which was ready to be transported to Nigeria by canoe from the Djange Beach at Old Ningo, while the other case involved 13 sacks of the stuff.
A 32-year-old man, Joseph Nartey, who allegedly attempted to bribe a team of policemen with GHc2,630 when they went to arrest suspects in the case was arrested. Briefing journalists at Ningo Monday, the Tema Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng, said about 10 p.m. on Friday, February 19, 2016, the police received information that some people were loading a canoe at the Djange Beach with goods suspected to be Indian hemp to be transported allegedly to Nigeria.
She said when the information was received, a team of policemen were dispatched to the scene where some young men numbering about 20 were spotted busily loading the canoe with sacks full of a substance believed to be Indian hemp.
Canoe incident
ASP Obeng said the young men, on sighting the police, bolted leaving behind the canoe and its contents. Other items found at the scene were mobile phones, one Yamaha outboard motor, two jerry cans of premix fuel, sacks of charcoal and a coal pot.
According to the Tema police spokesperson, the suspect approached the policemen at the scene in an attempt to bribe them with the amount but he was immediately arrested.
The canoe, which had the inscriptions: In Jesus Name we pray, Obiara Nana ni abrewa, Holy Ghost Fire and Number 3 on it, had since been pulled ashore with the help of some youth in Ningo and Prampram, while investigations had been initiated into the case.
Second case
In the other case, a black Toyota saloon car was impounded by the police at Prampram after the police discovered that it was loaded with 13 sacks of a substance suspected to be Indian hemp.
ASP Obeng explained that about 7 p.m. on January 22, 2016, a police patrol team at Prampram had information that some young men were carting sacks of Indian hemp into a canoe at the Ayetepanya Beach near Old Ningo.
She said the team proceeded to the beach area and met the suspects, numbering about 50, briskly loading sacks full of wrapped substances into a waiting canoe.
However, on sighting the policemen, some of the young men escaped with the canoe, while others jumped into the sea and swam away.
Foreign vehicle
ASP Obeng said the Toyota vehicle, with registration number BB 0267-RB, which was left behind without the ignition key, was found loaded with the 13 sacks of the substance, in addition to vehicle documents bearing the name of Bodjou Ambroise, a Beninois.
She said the vehicle and its contents were later towed to the Prampram Police Station where investigations had been launched to identify the owner of the vehicle.
She commended the traditional authorities of Ningo and Prampram, the chief fishermen and the youth of the area for helping the police in their efforts to clamp down on the activities of narcotic peddlers and pleaded with the public to volunteer information that could lead to the arrest of the person behind the practice.
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