NACOB impounds GHS500K worth of suspected ‘wee’

The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) has impounded a Kia truck full of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis at Buokono, near Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region.

NACOB in the latter part of 2017 had a tip-off on a boat from Dzemeni in the Volta Region, which was loaded with cannabis and had offloaded its content onto a truck at a village near Asesewa with its final destination being Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region.

NACOB in collaboration with the District Police Command at Asesewa intercepted the said truck with registration number ER 105-13 and arrested the driver, Stephen Narteh Sangmortey, whiles his accomplice fled upon sensing danger when security officers stopped their vehicle for checks.

A search conducted on the truck revealed sacks filled with dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, packed onto the bucket of the truck and covered with a tarpaulin.

In all, 124 sacks all containing dried leaves suspected to be cannabis were retrieved from the truck.

These comprised 72 sacks of compressed dried leaves and 52 sacks of uncompressed dried leaves, all suspected to be cannabis. The 72 sacks of compressed dried leaves were further found to contain 4,326 slabs of compressed cannabis.

The estimated gross weight of the seized cannabis according to NACOB is 5 tonnes, with a street value of approximately GH S500,000.

The purported owner of the consignment, Nicholas Lartey (a.k.a Nharyo), is currently at large. The driver of the truck, Stephen Narteh Sangmortey was put before the court and subsequently remanded in prison custody.

NACOB in a statement said it is committed to curbing the illicit drug trade and encouraged the public to voluntarily provide information leading to the arrest of persons suspected to be indulging in nefarious activities especially in narcotics-related acts.