Three in police grips * For attempting to export wee

Page 28: Daily Graphic, September 5, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE police have arrested three persons for allegedly attempting to export Indian hemp stuffed in drums to the United Kingdom.
Rastafarian Obeng Karikari, 53, who works with the Pharmacy Department of the La General Hospital, Seidi Ibrahim, 28, a carver and Joseph David Theodore, 27, a musician, are currently in custody at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters.
They were arrested at the Arts Centre in Accra following a tip-off that they were about to send the drums to the Ghana Post to be posted to London.
The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Rose Bio Atinga, told newsmen in Accra yesterday that police had information that a group of persons were stuffing Indian hemp into drums to export to London.
She said the informant had said that the culprits often bought the drums somewhere else and gave it to Ibrahim, the carver, to remove the leather cover and stuff the drums with the dried leaves.
According to her, Ibrahim would then reseal the drums and send it to Karikari, who in turn sent it to the Ghana Post for exportation to London.
DCOP Atinga said Karikari informed the police upon his arrest that that was the second time he was sending the drugs to a friend in London.
She said the suspect claimed he sent the last consignment through the post.
But an unrepentant Karikari told newsmen that arresting people for dealing in Indian hemp was a bad law.
He said the police must look at serious crimes and not persons who dealt in Indian hemp.
For his part, Ibrahim said, he was paid GH¢40 by Karikari to stuff the drums and reseal them for him.