Cocaine seized at airport destroyed

Accra, June 3, GNA - Fifty-nine kilogrammes of cocaine retrieved from the Duty Free Shop at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on March 14 last year was on Tuesday destroyed at the premises of the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal.

Based on the orders of the court, the substance with street value of 180,000 Ghana cedis was set on fire after they had been tendered in evidence by prosecution at a sitting at the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal.

The event was witnessed by the Registrar and officials of the court, prosecution and officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB). Kwame Owusu Yelbert, a security officer at the Kotoka International Airport, is standing trial, for conspiracy and abetment. His accomplices, namely Felix Edusei, a driver, Daniel Sanja Nimako, a security personnel and Emmanuel Boakye, a sales officer, are at large. Yelbert is said to have facilitated the movement of 59 kilogrammes of cocaine into the Duty Free Shop at KIA.

His accomplices are being held for possessing narcotics drugs without lawful authority.

Yelbert, who has pleaded not guilty would re-appear on June 17. The prosecutor, Mr. Augustines Obuor, State Attorney, said on March 14, last year, personnel of NACOB stationed in KIA had information from aviation security that some people were hiding narcotic drugs within the Airport.

The prosecution said a search was therefore conducted within the Airport and at the Duty Free Shop where two polythene bags containing whitish powdery substance were found concealed at two different locations.

The State Attorney said investigation revealed that Nimako and Boakye removed the bag in which the drugs were from a vehicle being driven by Edusei and sent it to the Duty Free Shop.

The prosecution said the Commander of Aviation Security viewed the CCTV on March 13, 2007 which revealed that Yelbert was at the entrance of the arrival hall moments after which Nimako and Boakye were also captured carrying the bag through the hall to the entrance of the Transit Shop which is also part of the Duty Free Shop.