Two assist NACOB in "coke in palm soup"

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - Two persons are assisting the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to unravel circumstances that led to cocaine being concealed in Nkulenu Palm Base Soup.

Nana Yaa Asantewah and Nana Kwarteng, aka Protocol, were on Monday put before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal for attempted exportation of narcotic drug without lawful authority and possessing narcotic drugs. The tribunal did not take their pleas and remanded them into police custody to reappear on October 23.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Augustines Obuor, an Assistant State Attorney, at about 2130 hours on September 22, personnel of NACOB on duty at Aviance Cargo Section of the Kotoka International Airport went on their routine checks and came across boxes of yam on a pallet ready to be exported to the United Kingdom.

Mr Obuor said the personnel also found 60 cans of Nkulenu Palm Soup Base concealed in three boxes mixed with the yam. When one of the cans was opened in the presence of the forwarding agent, Prosper Ahiaba it was found to contain some powdery substances suspected to be cocaine, a narcotic drug.

Personnel of NACOB further conducted a field test and it proved to be cocaine.

When the Ahiaba was quizzed, he mentioned Kwarteng and Asantewaah as the owners of the yam and the Nkulenu palm soup base.

Kwarteng and Asantewaah were arrested and during interrogation, Asantewaah claimed ownership of 52 cartons of yam and three boxes of the Nkulenu Palm soup base.

According to Asantewah said she was sending the yam to one Akua Brago to be sold in the United Kingdom.