Driver remanded for importing drugs without license

Padonu Olaolu, 46, Nigerian, has been remanded into prison custody by a Ho Circuit Court for allegedly importing drugs without licence, importing unregistered drugs and importing counterfeit drugs.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and will reappear on November 25, 2019.

Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Patience Kuade told the court presided over by Madam Priscilla Dikro-Ofori that the complainants in the case are officials from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and personnel from the Regional Drug Law Enforcement Unit, whilst the accused is a driver, a Nigeria national and an employee of George Umaka Okeke (GUO) Transport Company Limited in Nigeria and Ghana.

She said on November 9, 2019 at about 1530 hours the accused who was driving a white Toyota Hiace with Nigerian registration number JJT 332ZF arrived at the Aflao border with nine passengers, two Ghanaians and seven Nigerians.

The prosecution said when officials of Narcotic Control Board and Food and Drug Authority conducted a search on the vehicle at the vehicle examination section they discovered some empty packets of Postinor2 and Mifabon in the vehicle and this prompted them to send the vehicle to scanning facility at the border for scanning. The prosecution said when the officials analysed the scanned image they realized that some items were concealed in a compartment under the seat beside the driver and the rest on top of the spare tyre under the vehicle. She said the officials therefore conducted further physical inspection and retrieved 36 sachets x200mg of Mifabon drugs, 51 sachets x200mg of Cytotec drugs, 14 sachets x100mg of Tramadol caps and