Cocaine-in-yoghurt: Suspects remanded

Accra, Dec. 27, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra has remanded into prison custody Michael Ayache, Managing Director of Market Direct Company Limited and two clearing agents for allegedly importing 15 kilogrammes of drugs suspected to be cocaine in a shipment of yoghurt. With Ayache in the dock were Isaac Quansah and Mohammed Salami. All three have been charged with illegal importation of narcotic drugs. The court did not take their pleas but remanded them into prison custody to reappear on January 15.

The prosecution's case was that on December 12, this year, the Organised Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service had information that some drugs had been concealed in a container loaded with other goods.

The container with registration number MSKY 6646380 was imported by Market Direct Company Limited, a company located on the Spintex Road in Accra, had arrived from Peru and was awaiting clearance at Mearsk Sealand, Tema.

It said when the container was opened on December 12, in the presence of Police, Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the clearing agents, a bag found on top of imported yoghurt drinks had 15 slabs of narcotic drugs suspected to be cocaine. The prosecution said Ayache, Managing Director of Market Direct Company, was arrested but he denied any knowledge and ownership of the drugs.

It said according to Ayache, he imported the yoghurt through an agent known as Claudio Mollo in Argentina on the Internet. The prosecution said Quansah and Salami were also arrested to assist in investigations.