KIA records fewer arrests of traffickers

Page 3: Daily Graphic, June 17, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has recorded fewer arrests of drug traffickers as a result of the tight security measures instituted there.
There has also not been any reports of the arrest of drug couriers originating from the airport in other countries since March this year.
The last arrests made at the airport in Ghana were those of two drug couriers in February this year.
This new trend followed the arrest of four drug couriers on board different airlines which were transiting at the KIA.
The first of such transiting drug couriers, Aly Diarra, was arrested in May this year, following which he expelled 100 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.6 kilogrammes.
Diarra, who is a Nigerian by birth but was travelling on a Malian passport, was transiting through Ghana to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
He was on board an Emirates flight EK787 on which he had travelled from Sao Paolo, Brazil, through Dubai en route to Abidjan. The flight was delayed for several hours because officials initially declined handing Diarra over to officials of National Security and the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB).
Between June 9 and 11, 2009, three other couriers, all Nigerians, were picked up from the airlines on which they had travelled all the way from South American countries and were destined for Abidjan.
They are Clement Chukwuemeka Aniakor, Damian Ikechukwu Nwaeke and Friday Mgbanya. They are currently assisting NACOB in its investigations.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the arrest of Clement, Damian and Friday, the Executive Secretary of NACOB, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Robert Ayalingo, commended Ghana’s international partners who were assisting to make Ghana a “no-go” area for drug couriers.
He said following such collaboration, Clement, who was travelling on a Nigerian passport number 00736127, was arrested on board the aircraft he had joined from Brazil on his way to Abidjan on June 9, 2009.
He said when he was confronted by operatives of NACOB, Clement voluntarily surrendered 17 pellets he had discharged on board the airline.
ACP Ayalingo said Clement explained that the flight delayed after transiting through Lima in Peru and Dubai before arriving in Ghana and alleged that he had lost some of the pellets in the course of expelling them in the aircraft.
After putting Clement under close observation, he later expelled 18 more pellets, bringing the total number to 35.
According to ACP Ayalingo, Damian, who was travelling on a Nigerian passport number A005602161, was suspected to have swallowed some drugs and was also on his way to Abidjan.
He said a search conducted on him after he had been picked up from the aircraft on June 11, 2009 revealed that he had concealed a whitish substance in two monitors of desktop computers, a printer and a bag.
ACP Ayalingo said Damian later expelled 17 more pellets when he was put under close observation.
With regard to Friday, the Executive Secretary said the suspect, who was on the same flight as Damian, denied carrying drugs on him.
He said a field test on his urine, however, proved positive for cocaine, before he confessed to swallowing drugs in Ecuador.
ACP Ayalingo said Friday, who was travelling on a Nigerian passport number A3745029A, started expelling the pellets of cocaine he had swallowed soiled with blood.
He said Friday was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital for medical attention, after which he expelled 27 pellets.
According to him, these were signs that the drug traffickers were avoiding the Kotoka Airport, hence the resort to transiting flights.