Thursday, March 29, 2007

Trader jailed for dealing in drugs

Accra, March 29, GNA - A Nigerian trader, who expelled 64 pellets of
cocaine after he was picked up by the security agencies at the Kotoka
International Airport (KIA) in May last year was on Thursday sentenced
to 10 years' imprisonment by the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal.
Titus Igwe Uwakwe, 31, pleaded guilty for attempted exportation
of narcotic drugs without lawful authority and possession of narcotic
drugs weighing 886.7 grammes and the court, presided over Mr Justice
Frank Manu convicted him accordingly.The court ordered that his
sentence should commence from the day of his arrest and he should be
deported after serving his sentence. It also ordered that the drugs be
destroyed.
The case as presented by the prosecutor, Mrs Evelyn Keelson,
State Attorney, is that on May 19, 2006 Uwakwe arrived at KIA to board
Ghana International Airline flight to London.
The prosecution said as he was going through departure
formalities, personnel of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) suspected
him of carrying drugs hence picked him up.
Uwakwe was escorted to the 37 Military Hospital for examination
where it was found that he had some foreign materials in his
stomach.He expelled 64 pellets of whitish substances, which the Ghana
Standards Board proved to be cocaine.
The prosecution said Uwakwe admitted ownership of the drugs
saying they were handed over to him by one Michael and his wife Wendy
in a hotel in Accra but he failed to lead the Police to where Michael
and his wife were.

29 March 07