Personnel from the Tema Regional Police Command yesterday morning took custody of some quantities of substance believed to be cocaine.  The substance concealed in 18 slabs in the shape of a Bible and estimated at a street value running into millions of dollars was contained in what is known in Ghana as ‘Ghana Must Go’ bag and covered with a blanket inside the booth of a brown Opel Astra saloon car with registration number, GW 5737 W.

No arrest has been made so far, even though the police believed that there were two Koreans on board the vehicle. Speaking to members of the media, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kudalor said the Police had had a tip off on Wednesday night at about 9.00pm that the said Opel Astra car that was carrying some quantity of cocaine was heading towards the Tema Port and was expected to arrive at 11.00pm to board one of the vessels.

He said he therefore detailed some Police personnel in plain clothes from the Command under Assistant Supt. of Police (ASP) Omari Yiadom at the Harbour Police Station to lay ambush for the car. ACP Kudalor continued that his men got to the area at about 10.00pm and mounted surveillance throughout the night but did not see any sign of the car till yesterday morning.  And when they were about to dispatch the personnel back to their duty posts, the informant called again to inform the Police that he had seen the Opel Astra car parked around the premises of the defunct Meridian Hotel, near the Harbour area.

The Police Commander said he quickly re-organized his men, this time round, under the supervision of the District Officer in-charge of the Community One (1) Police Station, Supt. Samuel K. Tetteh to storm the area. On arriving at the spot, the Police personnel including two patrol teams found the vehicle abandoned there, ACP Kudalor told the press.

“The police managed to open one of the doors of the vehicle, which was locked, and in the booth of the said vehicle, a bag was found covered with a blanket and when opened, 18 slabs in a Bible shape were found, but there was no one at the scene”, he noted. The Police Commander stated that they had already informed the Narcotics Board about the ‘arrest’ and were waiting for them to help convey the substance to the appropriate quarters for examination.

While the police were making efforts to establish the ownership of the said vehicle to assist them in its investigations, the vehicle and the substance have been impounded at the Regional Police Headquarters. The Regional Commander has however appealed to the general public to volunteer information on the whereabouts of the suspects.

Peace Fm   8/24/2007