2 police officers jailed 13 years for narcotics trafficking plot

Two police officers have been handed a combined 13-year jail term by a Circuit Court in Tema after finding them guilty of unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic narcotics.

The court, presided over by Her Ladyship Aleanor Kakra Barnes Botchway, convicted Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nasiru Amadu and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah after almost four years of legal proceedings.

According to the prosecution, led by ASP Ernest Kuofie, the case dates back to 2023 when an officer at the Afienya District Police Command raised concerns about suspicious conduct by the two officers.

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At the time, Amadu, 48, served as second-in-command at the Sakumono District Police Headquarters, while Mintah, 43, was his driver.

On November 19, 2023, a snap-check team received intelligence that a Nissan Navara with registration GP 727 was transporting narcotics from Ho to Accra. At about 7:15 p.m., the officers arrived at the checkpoint and were apprehended.

A search revealed eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of suspected narcotic substances.

Further investigations established that Mintah had links to a relative known as “Oluman”, a reputed narcotics dealer based in Ashaiman Tulaku. On the day of the incident, Mintah had been hired to transport Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku.

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He then contacted Amadu, who also engaged with “Oluman” to finalise the transaction.

The two officers allegedly drove vehicle GP 727 from Sakumono to a forest near Peki Tsibu, where they took delivery of the drugs from a Benz bus before being arrested en route to Accra.

Investigators later discovered that this was not their first involvement in such activities.

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A forensic crime laboratory report confirmed the seized items were narcotics.

The court ruled that the officers had unlawfully possessed narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, in violation of Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, and Section 37(2)(b) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).

ASP Amadu received a 10-year prison sentence, while Corporal Mintah was handed five years, both to run concurrently. Additionally, each officer was fined 10,000 penalty units (GH¢120,000) or, in default, faced an extra three years in prison.