Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 24 August 2004

Source: GNA

Narcotic drug smuggler remanded

Accra, Aug. 24, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded Eramos Baah in Police custody for possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

The presiding judge, Mr Williwise Kyeremeh, did to take Baah's plea and remanded him to reappear on September 4.

He was charged with importation of narcotic drug without licence and possession of narcotic drug without lawful authority.

Barbara Sackey, Assistant State Attorney, said Security personnel at the Kotoka international Airport, whose attention was drawn to the luggage of Baah because of certain abnormalities, arrested him. Baah, alias Kwame Amponsah, who hails from Abrew Akwapim, was returning from Guinea.

Security officials found a large parcel suspected to be heroin in his luggage, but he denied knowledge of the substance. After a thorough examination of the bags, two false compartments were found in each of them.

Ms Sackey said Baah claimed to have bought the bags at Madina Market in Conakry, Guinea, and he did not know that they contained the drugs, which the Police Forensic laboratory had certified to be heroin.