Cannabis Bust: Three security officials charged

Three Security officials on Monday appeared before an Accra Circuit for their various roles they played in facilitating the exportation of 7.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and 1,545 kilogrammes of Cannabis through the Kotoka International Airport to the United Kingdom.

The accused persons are Charles Abodakpi, Security Supervisor of Aviance Ghana Limited, Abdon Dzata, Customs Officer on duty at Nick TC Scan and Samuel Aryee Tettey, tractor driver of Aviance Ghana Limited.

Two other accomplices, who are now at large, are Obed Amevor, Security Supervisor of Aviation Profile Security Services (APSS) and Frank Amoah, alias Kofi, a clearing agent and the Chief Executive Officer of Monai Cargo Limited.

The three accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to export a narcotic drug without license from the Ministry of Health. However, Charles Abodakpi, Abdon Dzata and Samuel Aryee Tettey were charged separately for engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotics.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri remanded them into prison custody to re-appear on October 17.

The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Aidan Dery, presenting the facts of the case said, preliminary investigation led to the arrest of the accused persons, following the seizure of 7.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and 1,545 kilogrammes of Cannabis at the Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom, which came from Ghana on the 24th and 25th September, 2012 respectively.

He said on the 24th and 25th September, 2012, the three accused persons and those on the run played various roles in promoting and facilitating the exportation 7.5 kilogrammes of cocaine and 1,545 kilogrammes of Cannabis with a street value of about £4.3 million to the United Kingdom.

DSP Dery said Abodakpi, Tettey and Amevor connived with Dzata the Customs officer at the Scan Unit and that Abodakpi and Amevor presented documents in respect of some foodstuffs meant for export in four consignments containing narcotic drugs to Dzata to certify them for their release to the aircraft, claiming that the scanner machine had broken down.

He said Dzata then certified that he had physically checked the consignment and released it to Abodakpi and Amevor, who escorted the load whilst Dzata drove it to the aircraft.

He said by law, if the scanner machine brakes down, Dzata was mandated to invite the security agencies at the Airport such as NACOB, National Security, Aviation security for a joint physical check of the consignment to ensure that nothing incriminating was included.

DSP Dery said Dzata also failed to make any notes on this occurrence in his book on the alleged break down of the scanning machine.

He said it had also been established that the scanner machine actually broke down on September 25th, at about 0230 hours when the consignments had already left the airport.