Ho, Feb. 3, GNA-The Volta Regional Police Command will now stop and search hearse vehicles operating in the Region under the guise of ambulances.

This is because those vehicles have become a cover for promoting Indian hemp business in the Region, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alexander Bedie, Volta Regional Police Commander, has disclosed.

This disclosure followed the arrest of a hearse with six sacks containing 302 parcels of compressed leaves suspected to be Indian hemp at Sokode-Gborgame near Ho on Thursday, February 2 .

Mr Bedie said on the day in question, the Regional Police Patrol Team signaled a hearse at Bame to stop but the driver sped off towards Ho. The patrol team chased the hearse and caught up with it at Sokode-Gborgame where the six sacks of suspected Indian hemp were discovered.

Mr Bedie said George Akey, 41 the hearse driver and Olympio Anatsu, 23, a driver’s mate, were arrested.

He said Akey said he was engaged by Anatsu’s master called Muri to convey the items to Dzodze for a fee of GHc300.00.

Akey told newsmen that Muri called him on phone from Kpando and told him he was to convey a corpse to Dzodze but between Golokuati and Gbefi Muri transferred the six sacks of the Indian hemp from his (Muri’s) vehicle into his hearse and asked that he conveyed them to Dzodze.

Akey said he initially declined but Muri assured him that there was nothing to fear and that he would accompany him on the journey.

He said instead of accompanying him, Muri asked his apprentice and mate Anatsu to accompany him with the assurance that he would meet them near the Volta Regional Hospital in Ho.

Mr Bedie said the ease with which suspects in Indian hemp trials in the Region gained their freedom gave cause for concern and that this was demoralizing the police in their efforts to deal with the menace.

He appealed to the public to bear with the Police in its latest approach in combating the Indian hemp business and similar criminal activities in the Region.