Ghana Navy seizes 4.8 tonnes of cannabis bound for Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
The Ghana Navy seized 4.8 tonnes of suspected cannabis, packed in 117 sacks, from two boats near the Volta Lake estuary at Ada. The cargo, whose resale value is estimated at more than $1 million, was due to be transported to Nigeria, according to the Ghana Navy.
The Ghana Navy discovered 117 sacks containing around 80 packs each of suspected marijuana during an operation at about 1am on Thursday 5 November at the mouth of Volta Lake, at Ada, in the Greater Accra Region. The substances were handed over to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) for laboratory analysis, Naval Captain Festus Osei-Brobbey, director of naval operations, said, according to MyJoyOnline.
The two wooden boats had been concealed on the banks near the estuary and their occupants fled as a patrol approached. The boats were taken to Ada Foah, where they were searched at about 5am in the presence of NACOC. The street value of the cargo is estimated at more than $1 million, according to MyJoyOnline.
Festus Osei-Brobbey described the operation as one of the largest seizures of marijuana recently carried out by the Ghana Navy. In July, naval forces had intercepted about 60 sacks of suspected marijuana, according to MyJoyOnline.
The Navy says it intends to intensify surveillance of its maritime corridors to prevent them from being used as transit routes for narcotics. It plans to continue cooperating with other Ghanaian security agencies, according to MyJoyOnline.
