Accra, Sept. 6 GNA – Nine Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) operatives and a football administrator who were arrested for assisting drug couriers in the narcotic drug trade were on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused persons are Fatimatu Abdulai, Dennis Adutwum Gyimah, Yakubu Issaka, Timothy Aboloimpo and Abubakar Nallah, Chief Executive Officer of Tudu Mighty Jets, a football club.

The rest of the accused persons are Peter Ansong, Mutawa Kilu Yahaya Iddi, Jerry John Kwesi Abbiw, Eric Darko Akuffo and Nana Zamsah Evrah.

They were charged with the abetment in the importation and exportation of narcotic drugs contrary to the Narcotic Drugs Law 1990 PNDCL 236 section 56(C) and (1)(1).

They pleaded not guilty to the charges but were remanded into prison custody to re-appear on September 9.

Counsel for the accused persons applied for bail for his clients but was declined by the presiding judge, Mr Eric Kyei Baffour.

The Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abicham Boye stating the facts of the case said the suspects were NACOB operatives stationed at the NACOB headquarters.

He said in July this year, a narcotic drug suspect who has been on the wanted list of the US was arrested at Dansoman in Accra.

He said during investigation text messages purported to have been received from Fatimatu Abdulai, a NACOB operative were found on the cell phone of the suspect.

DSP Boye said the text messages pointed to the fact that Abdulai of the Procurement Unit of NACOB has been aiding the suspect Edward Macaulay and others to import and export narcotic drugs through the Kotoka International Airport.

He said Abdulai was arrested and during interrogations he admitted the act.

DSP Boye said Abdulai mentioned some NACOB officers and personnel of other security agencies including the suspects as accomplices who have compromised their position and allowed drug couriers safe passage after receiving various sums of money from the narcotic drug dealers