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General News of Saturday, 1 December 2001

Source: JoyOnline

50 Kilos Of Gold Dust Seized At Accra Airport.

Security officials at the Cargo Village of Ghana’s International Airport have reportedly intercepted 50 Kilogrammes of dust suspected to be gold-dust which had been neatly concealed in two fertilizer bags and hidden in a steel trunk destined for Amsterdam. Swiss-air, the airline whose identification tag was on the trunk ,has denied knowledge of the cargo and described the tag as fake.

The Security Co-ordinator of the Airport Cargo village, is quoted as telling the Daily-Graphic that security personnel identified the cargo about a three weeks ago and suspected it to be Narcotic substances and therefore monitored the cargo to check on who was sending it abroad but each time there was a Swiss-air flight, nobody came forward to check it in.

He said the surveillance took some time because they wanted to make sure exactly who was behind the cargo to Amsterdam. Mr yeboah said a security team comprising Personnel from the Customs Excise and Preventive Service CEPS, Narcotics Control Board, AFGO security and Aviation Security among others, forced opened the trunk on Wednesday only to find that it contained gold dust.

The Security Co-ordinator said thorough security checks now conducted on the contents of both Imported and exported cargo so that illicit goods are neither sent out nor brought into the Country. Of recent there have been recents of interceptions of illicit drugs in particular at the Airport Cargo Village.

In July this year, an estimated 30 kilograms of cocaine was sent through the Airport without detection. In November this year as well, 49 Kilogrammes of Indian-Hemp were intercepted at the Kotoka International Airport through the vigilance of security personnel.

A quantity of Cocaine which was also being imported into the Country concealed in air-conditioners was also seized at the Cargo- Village.