866 cocaine parcels hidden in gari sacks seized at Tema Harbour, three arrested
The police have seized 866 parcels of suspected cocaine concealed in sacks of gari and arrested three people, including a Dutch national, in a suspected drug trafficking operation at the Tema Port enclave.
The Tema Regional Police Command said the consignment, which was allegedly being prepared for export, had an estimated street value of US$6.9 million.
Police said the operation followed intelligence received on Wednesday, 5 August, that individuals were loading parcels of a white substance hidden in gari sacks into a 40-foot container at a warehouse within the Tema Harbour area.
Officers who responded to the information found three people allegedly supervising the loading process.
The suspects were identified as Gilano Horwin, 31, a Dutch national; John Mensah Sabah, 41; and Alhaji Iddris Haruna, 52.
According to police, the sacks were being loaded into a container mounted on a white DAF truck with registration number WR 1118-10.
The suspects and the vehicle were escorted to the Tema Regional Police Headquarters, where a search of the sacks led to the discovery of 866 parcels of a substance suspected to be cocaine.
Police said Horwin allegedly admitted during questioning that the substance was cocaine and claimed ownership of the consignment.
The three suspects remain in custody assisting with investigations, while the seized substance has been secured for forensic examination to confirm its composition and determine the circumstances surrounding the suspected export attempt.
In a separate operation, the Tema Regional Police Command also intercepted a taxi allegedly transporting substances suspected to be Indian hemp at Tsopoli in the Greater Accra Region.
Police said the driver, identified as Eric Tetteh, was arrested after officers intercepted an Opel taxi carrying four sacks of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis.
The operation followed intelligence that a taxi and a Hyundai H100 bus were transporting suspected narcotics. The bus reportedly escaped during a police pursuit.
Police said Tetteh allegedly admitted transporting the suspected cannabis from a village near Akuse.
The Tema Regional Police Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest other suspects linked to the cases and reaffirmed its commitment to tackling drug trafficking and the illegal movement of narcotic substances.
