Takoradi Court remands drug peddlers into prison custody

A Takoradi Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded three persons into prison custody for possessing narcotics without authority.

Their pleas were not taken and the court adjourned proceedings to July 31.

Chief Superintendent Felix Danku told the court presided over by Mr. Charles Bamford Nimako that on July 4, the personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Police Service undertook a dawn swoop at the Tarkwa Railway station.

He said the police arrested Nicolas Ntamah,19, with 68 wraps of dry leaves, James Obeng,23, with 31 wraps and three compressed parcels of leaves, Ekow Ankomah,24, with 15 wraps and quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Chief Superintendent Danku said that before their arrest, the police received reports from Tarkwa that some “wee smokers” had created ghettoes at the Tarkwa railway station, harassing residents at night and snatching people’s mobile phones, bags and other valuables.

He said the police arrested five people while some escaped but after screening, the three accused had dry leaves on them suspected to be Indian hemp.

The prosecution said the substances had been forwarded to the police forensic laboratory for examination in Accra.**