A Tarkwa Circuit court has sentenced a drug dealer, Iddrisu Yobi, to 10 years imprisonment for possessing Indian hemp weighing 902.59 grammes without authority.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing narcotic drug without authority.

Prosecuting Police Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Essel-Dadzie told the court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew, that the complainant was a police officer stationed at Asankragwa Divisional Police headquarters.

The convict is a galamsey operator who resides at Amoaman, near Asankragwa.

According to the prosecutor, on May 18 last year, the complainant together with the District Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) officer for Asankragwa visited his friend at Amoaman.

She said while the two were roaming, they chanced on a group of young men smoking dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

ASP Essel-Dadzie said while the complainant and the BNI officer approached the suspects, they took to their heels, but the two managed to arrest Yobi who had an amount of GH¢ 138, a bag containing 104 wrappers of dried leaves and quality of seeds all suspected to be Indian hemp, a lighter, two boxes of matches and a flashlight.

The prosecutor said the convict was sent to the Asankragwa police station where a formal complaint was lodged.

At the police station, Yobi claimed ownership of the exhibits in his investigation caution statement in the presence of an independent witness.

ASP Essel-Dadzie said Yobi was arraigned before the Tarkwa Circuit court last year, and he was remanded into prison custody while the exhibits were forwarded to the Police Forensic Science Crime Laboratory for examination and report.

The prosecution said on August 27, 2017, the Forensic examination report on the exhibit was received indicating that the 104 wrappers of dried leaves weighing 144.87 grammes and the seeds also weighing 757.72 grammes were all cannabis.

She said after investigation the convict was charged with the offence.