Kofi Appianin Ennin, a 50-year-old contractor, has been arrested by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) for allegedly transporting 6,240 kilo-grammes of cannabis worth $ 20 million to the United Kingdom.
The arrest which is the biggest in recent times according to NACOB, was executed with the effective collaboration of UK security agencies and their Ghanaian counterparts.
A source close to NACOB who disclosed this to The Ghanaian Times, said in February 2014, NACOB had intelligence report from its UK counterpart that a 20 footer container was intercepted at Gatwick, London.
It said NACOB was informed that the container was supposed to have 112 sacks of gari but when it was checked upon arrival, it was realised the sacks were stuffed with compressed cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug weighing 3,240 kilogrammes.
It said the recipient of the said container mentioned the name of the suspect as the one who exported the said cargo. The source said between January 15 and February 10, 2015, while investigations were underway, another 40-footer container with the number MCRU1114371 was intercepted at Gatewick, London.
It said a search in the said container, revealed 1,000 cartons of yams and 53 bags of gari and 3,000 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis sativa concealed in the boxes of the yams.
The source revealed that documents covering that shipment, were received and the freight forwarder in Ghana was invited for interrogation and he mentioned Ennin as the person who assigned him to export the goods on his behalf. It said the suspect, then led a team of investigators and some security personnel to the warehouse of Ennin at Asheyei, near Accra, where the packaging was carried out.
It said surveillance was mounted at the said warehouse and the house of the suspect. It said on June 2, 2015, the suspect was lured from his hideout and he was arrested.
A search conducted in the warehouse revealed a number of card boxes with the label FRESH YAMS PRODUCT OF GHANA, Jute sacks and plain polythene materials which were used in packaging the cannabis and the yams.
The source said the suspect admitted the warehouse belongs to him but added that it was someone who used it for that export. The suspect will be arraigned before the Fast Track High Court Criminal Division tomorrow.
<<Print>>