Four suspected drug traffickers have been apprehended as a result of a joint operation between Ghanaian and UK officials.
Eric Kusi Appiah, 51, Albert Kaakyire Gyamfi, 52, Jennifer Agyemang, 38, and Julius Tetteh Puplampu, 56, are the convicts.
The team discovered 38 kilograms of cocaine worth £2.88 million in their possession.
The Narcotics Control Commission stated in a statement that it has been investigating the gang’s activities since January 2021.
The suspects were transporting illegal substances through Kotoka International Airport.
According to NACOC’s Head of Communications and Media Relations, Francis Opoku Amoah, investigations led to the arrest of Eric Kusi Appiah on April 30, 2021, at Heathrow Airport, for attempting to traffic 17kgs of cocaine worth £1.3 million into the UK hidden in food boxes.
This prompted NACOC and NCA – UK to launch “Operation Grid,” a joint investigation aimed at identifying other members of the syndicate.
Julius Tetteh Puplampu, an ex-convict who was sentenced to ten years in prison in Ghana for the same offense in 2012, was apprehended at Heathrow after trafficking cocaine from Ghana and concealing it at the bottom of his suitcase.
“On 7 December, 2021, two more individuals linked to the syndicate were arrested in Ghana for their involvement in the case,” the statement added.
Eric Appiah and Albert Kaakyire Gyamfi were sentenced to nine years in prison. Jennifer Agyemang received a sentence of six (6) years and nine (9) months in prison.
Julius Tetteh Puplampu was sentenced to six (6) years and nine (9) months in prison on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The Narcotics Control Commission is pleased with the collaboration with UK authorities.
It claims to be committed to defending the country’s borders against criminal drug syndicates.
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SOURCE: myjoyonline
