Wee Booms In Volta Region

The Volta Regional Police Command has seized parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and arrested six people linked to the drugs, as part of efforts to deal with dealers. The police, yesterday morning, intercepted six fertilizer sacks of Indian hemp being conveyed in an ambulance by two suspects. They also carried out a swoop at Aflao last Sunday where three suspects were arrested with various quantities of the substance. Briefing the media at the Regional Police Headquarters, the Regional Police Commander, Alex Bedie, disclosed that at about 9:33am yesterday, a patrol team on the Ho-Kpeve road saw an ambulance with registration number, GE 8104-10 from Bame to Sokode-Gbogame, near Ho, after the driver had refused to stop on request. A search conducted in the boot of the ambulance revealed six sacks of compressed and expertly sealed and packaged parcels suspected to be Indian hemp, popularly called wee. The two suspects- the driver of the ambulance, George Akey, 41 and Olympio Anatsu, 21, a driver�s mate- denied ownership of the narcotic drug. Akey, who operates in Hohoe, explained he had a call from a certain Muri, a Nigerian-born transport owner who requested his services to convey a corpse from Ve-Golokwati to Dzodze. On reaching Golokwati, Muri asked him to accompany him to Gbefi to carry the corpse. However, on reaching a village called Melevivio, which means �It is not sweet,� Muri who was with Anatsu, his apprentice, showed him the sacks of Indian hemp. Akey said he initially refused but was persuaded and agreed to convey the sacks for GH�300. Muri, who was driving a 23-seater Benz bus with registration number GT 542-10, asked Anatsu to accompany Akey, and that he would join them at the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho. Unfortunately for Akey and Anatsu, they were arrested at Sokode Gbogame. DCOP Bedie said investigations were ongoing to get the owner while the exhibit would be sent for forensic analysis. In the Aflao swoop, which took place around Pillar 4, 5 and 7, three persons including a musician were arrested for allegedly possessing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. Fiho Kofi, 39, a musician, Paul Yaovi, 34, mason and Kakra Kumedzi, 45, a carpenter were arrested at different locations. Fiho Kofi, who was arrested at Pillar four, said he used the seeds of the Indian hemp for pomade and sold to women while he used some to boost his morale when performing. Paul Yaovi, who also operates a drinking spot near the cement factory, is alleged to be selling the substance to some of the drivers and others in the area. The three have been arraigned. In a related development, the police have also arrested a 35-year-old driver, Fuseini Lasisi, on the Ho-Aflao road for possessing three fertilizer sacks of suspected to be wee on Tuesday, January, 31. On that fateful day, when the Pontiac Vibe saloon car Fuseini was driving was stopped, he and a passenger took to their heels. Unfortunately for him, he was arrested but the passenger escaped. He explained that his vehicle was a hiring one and that he conveyed some passengers to Ho and on his return he picked the runaway passenger from the Volta Regional Hospital to Aflao. He denied knowledge of the items in his boot covered with some cloth and tinted windows, because he was buying water at the time they were being loaded. DCOP Bedie noted that the trend and rate at which the trade was assuming was worrying, calling on the public to volunteer information at all times to apprehend suspects.