Officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) have made the largest seizure of cocaine in recent years at the Tema Harbour.

The drug, estimated to be 200 kilogrammes, with a street value of $12 million, was concealed in a 40-footer container filled with 1,946 boxes of shampoo imported from Bolivia in South America.

The owner of the drug, Chief Sunny Ekechukwu Benji Eke, a 53-year-old Nigerian businessman, has been arrested, together with another accomplice, James Elekechukwu, 47, a second-hand clothing dealer in Accra.

Chief Eke was described by international law enforcement agencies as a notorious drug baron who had been involved in several drug seizures in Brazil and Bolivia.

According to the Deputy Executive Secretary of NACOB, Nii Lante Blankson, the success of the operation was the result of co-operation among the security agencies in the country.

He said in December last year, NACOB, through its foreign counterparts, received intelligence that a cargo said to contain a quantity of cosmetics was heading to the Tema Harbour from Bolivia and was suspected to contain some narcotic substances.

He said on January 29, 2013, the said cargo, which was shipped in a 40-footer container number MRK 257478-45 GI belonging to the MAESRK Shipping Lines and consigned to the De Consumables Lines Limited, docked at the Tema Harbour and officers of NACOB who were on standby immediately mounted surveillance on it.

After almost two weeks, a clearing agent arrived with the necessary documents to clear the goods and he was arrested to assist in investigations.

Nii Blankson said inspection of the documents revealed that the cargo was built to contain 22 pallets of assorted cosmetics but during physical examination, 1,946 cartons were found, with 33 of them containing 198 yellow bottles of cocaine, while 29 contained 174 green bottles of cocaine.

The container was later traced to Elekechukwu, who was arrested at his residence at Aplaku Junction, near Weija.

Upon interrogation, Elekechukwu told NACOB officials that the real owner of the goods was Chief Eke.

Elekechukwu said Chief Eke was his classmate and friend and that he (Elekechukwu) had been living in Ghana for the past 20 years, while Chief Eke had been visiting Ghana frequently for the past two years to conduct business.

Elekechukwu said anytime Chief Eke arrived in Ghana, he picked the chief up from the Kotoka International Airport and checked him into hotels.

He explained that in 2011, Chief Eke informed him about his desire to register a company in Ghana to sell cosmetic products, noting that he assisted the chief to register the De Consumables Company at the Registrar-General's Department using fake documents.

Elekechukwu said some time in December 2012, Chief Eke returned to Ghana, as usual, with import documents of his cargo of cosmetic products which he claimed was on the high seas and would arrive at the Tema Port some time in January 2013.

The two Nigerians then went to the Tema Harbour and handed over the documents to the clearing agent and advanced some money for the clearance of the goods and thereafter Chief Eke returned to Nigeria.

Mr Blankson said it took the NACOB over one week of controlled operation to lure Chief Eke back into the country for his arrest at the Accra Shopping Mall where he had scheduled a meeting with Elekechukwu and the clearing agent.

He had in his possession four Nigerian passports with different names.


http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201302/101877.php

After, they'll come on here crying and screaming hate from Ghanaian's......no Ghanaian citizen wud do this in Nigeria

God Bless My Homeland Ghana.....we'll keep arresting these animals

[size=14pt]Already In Fast Track Court -- That Was Quick[/size]

Two Nigerians who were recently nabbed by security operatives over 372 bottles of substances suspected to be cocaine valued at $12 million on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Fast Track High Court.

James Ekeke Chukwu and Sammy Ikechekwu Benjy Eke, both businessmen are being held for engaging in criminal conspiracy and importation of narcotics without authority.

Eke was additionally charged for possessing 62 boxes containing 372 bottles of liquid substance suspected to be cocaine.

The court presided over by Mr Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh reserved their pleas and remanded them into Police Custody to reappear on March 12 pending further investigations into the matter.

The facts as presented by Mr Asiamah Sampong, Principal State Attorney are that during the month of December last year, the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) through its foreign counterpart received an intelligence report to the effect that a cargo said to be containing quantities of cosmetics from Bolivia to Tema Port had narcotic drugs concealed in them.

On January 29 this year, the cargo which was consigned to a company called Consumables Lines Limited arrived at the Tema Port. Officers of the Joint Port Control Unit (JPCU) mounted surveillance on the cargo in a 40 footer container with Number MRK 257 48-45 GI belonging to Maersk Shipping Line Company.

Prosecution said in February this year, two clearing agents and witnesses in the case arrived with the necessary documents to clear the goods. Inspection of the import documents suggested that the cargo was billed to contain 22 pallets of assorted cosmetics.

According to prosecution, the container arrived with the seal number ML 014986 intact and the container was opened for inspection in the presence of the agents. During physical examination of the goods green bottles of liquid substances suspected to be cocaine were found sealed in surgical gloves.

The clearing agent denied knowledge of the narcotic drugs and the cargo but another agent told investigators that a second hand cloth dealer who was a client to Chukwu who introduced Eke to her as an importer of cosmetic products who wanted his goods to be cleared for him.

The agent further stated that she was therefore presented with the necessary documents in her office by the two accused persons and she (the agent) was formally engaged to clear the goods.

Prosecution indicated that further investigations led to the arrest of Chukwu at Aplaku Junction near Weija when he attempted to take delivery of the cargo.

Prosecution said Chukwu mentioned Eke as the owner of the container and stated that sometime in 2011, Chukwu told him (Eke) that he had the desire to import cosmetics from South America to Ghana.

Based on that Chukwu said he assisted Eke to register a company known as Consumables Lines Limited at the Registrar General’s Department.

Prosecution said Chukwu stated that in December 2012, Eke came to him with the import document of the cargo which was on high seas from Bolivia to Tema.

Eke was lured into the country and he blamed Chukwu and two others for concealing the drugs in the cargo of cosmetics.

Investigation led to the retrieval of 180,600 CFA, 18,700 dollars, 3,945 Naira and GH¢680 from Eke, while GH¢2,150 was found on Chukwu.

Prosecution alleged the monies were believed to be proceeds from the sale of narcotic drugs.

Prosecution further stated that the substances had been forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority for analytical examination.

Source: GNA


http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2013/02/27/two-nigerians-in-12m-cocaine-deal-appears-in-court/