Currency dealer feared drowned in sea

Aflao, (V/R) Aug. 13, GNA - A police swoop on illegal currency dealers at the Aflao border on Saturday morning turned fatal with one of the dealers missing in the sea as he attempted to escape the hot pursuit of the police.

Fears of the dealer being drowned were gaining root hours after the incident.

Donney Azasoo, 25, father of two, was said to have jumped into the sea together with four others, including his younger brother, Dodzi Azasoo, who together with the other two, managed to land in Togo. Grief has gripped the Aflao community, with the issue being the main topic of discussion.

When the GNA visited the beach, hundreds of people were eagerly looking across the sea, hoping to catch a glimpse of Donney. Dodzi, the deceased person's surviving younger brother, told the wailing family members and sympathizers, that he was assisting Donney in his job at the border at about 0600 hours. He said, at 0700 hours, they spotted a Nissan Urvan mini bus, with armed policemen, who got down and rushed on the currency dealers near the State Transport Corporation (STC) bus terminal and the dealers took to their heels. Dodzi said in the pandemonium, he followed his brother and two others, whose name he could not mentioned, towards the Ghana-Togo border.

He said the police crossed their way, and they therefore, diverted towards the sea and amidst the hot pursuit and repeated shootings, the four of them, including his missing elder brother, jumped into the sea.

"Three of us landed safely in Togo without my brother whose head I saw rose above the water once and no more, as we fruitlessly appealed to on-lookers at the Togolese side to help rescue him."

Dodzi said one of the other two dealers, who swam close to his brother, claimed he heard him make a distress call for help.

When the GNA contacted the Police Crime Office in-charge of the District, Mr. Baba Moro who present said, " my friend, I cannot talk to you now as I am busy preparing my report on the issue for my Head Office. Go and come later."

Meanwhile, a section of the dealers were still in business, and there was no search exercise for Donney, yet in sight.