Police arrest four suspected Indian hemp farmers

Sekondi, June 13,-GNA-Four persons have been arrested by the Police at Oheneakura near Sefwi Bekwai for planting, harvesting, selling of leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and possession of weapons. They are Kwabena Annor alias Santana, 42, Yaw Acheampong, 40 Azure Apam, 27 and Nana Kwadwo Anwhere, 65.

The Western Regional Police Commander, Kofi Duku Arthur disclosed this at a press briefing at Sekondi on Tuesday.

He said the Enchi Police on May 25 arrested Kwaku Afatsianu at Ajakaa, a farming village on the Enchi-Asankrangwa road with two bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. Mr. Arthur said upon interrogation, Afatsianu told the Police that one Kwabena Annor alias Santana who was also a native of the village brought it to him for safekeeping.

The commander said on June 10, the regional crime officer led a team of personnel from the Western Regional Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) to Oheneakora near Sefwi Bekwai and arrested Santana where he was allegedly separating the seeds from the dry leaves. He said a search in most houses revealed that almost every occupant was engaged in the cultivation of the drug. The commander said one and half bags of the leaves were found behind the house of Santana, who also allegedly told the Police that he bought the leaves from the nearby villages and sells them to customers from Cote d'Ivoire. He said some of the people involved in the act escaped before the police got to the scene. 13 June 06