Labourer jailed 10 years for possessing cocaine

Accra, May 10, GNA - The Accra Regional Tribunal on Wednesday sentenced John Sarfo, a labourer, to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour for possessing a narcotic drug.

Sarfo, 32, was charged with possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority, contrary to Section 2(1) and (2) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law 1990, PNDCL 236. Ms Barbara Sackey, Assistant State Attorney, told the tribunal chaired by Mr Frank Manu that on April 6, 2005, Sarfo was scheduled to board a KLM flight from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Spain via Amsterdam and while at the airport, Mr Emmanuel Asante, personnel of the Narcotics Control Board, who was at the airport to check unlawful trafficking of narcotics, observed the convict's conduct to be characteristic of persons unlawfully carrying narcotics. The Prosecutor said Mr Asante confronted Sarfo and later conveyed him to the 37th Military Hospital, where an X-Ray examination was conducted.

Ms Sackey said, the examination revealed the presence of some foreign material in Sarfo's stomach. She said Sarfo then confessed that he had swallowed 80 pellets of cocaine.