The Bono Regional Police Command has intercepted a bus at Techiman travelling from Kumasi to Niger carrying about 260 parcels of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Deputy Bono Regional Police commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Baba Saarid Adamu, confirmed the incident to the media in Sunyani and stated that the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Police on Saturday had a tip-off that some people were packing parcels in a bus with the registration Number GC 5118-Z at Alaba in the Ashante Region.
He said the Police kept surveillance on the said bus and arrested it on Monday evening at Techiman in the Bono East Region travelling to Niger with less than 20 passengers on board.
He said the driver upon interrogation admitted that they were such alleged items in the bus adding that all the passengers were allowed to go after a search and the immigration officers were alerted to arrest any of the passengers who try to cross the country’s border on land since all the borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACP Adamu said the vehicle together with the Indian hemp were kept at the yard of the Bono Regional Police Headquarters and the police in thorough search in the bush came across the parcels hidden in the air-condition compartments and below the cushions of the back seats of the vehicle.
He said the two suspects, Awudu Yawkubu, 32, driver and Ibrahim Haruna, 37, owner of the parcels were kept in the police custody to assist in investigations that could lead to the arrest of other accomplices behind the act.
ACP Adamu said the two suspects arrested would be arraigned before the court by Wednesday, April 14, 2021, to be remanded into prison custody for further investigation.
-GNA