The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has intercepted 152 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a shipment of sugar from Brazil.
This was after a joint operation with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
A statement issued by the Commission said the seizure was based on intelligence received that a consignment of 50 containers of sugar destined for Ghana is likely to have substances suspected to be narcotics.
“Acting on the intelligence, NACOC, together with BNI and NSCS, mounted surveillance on the shipment until the suspected narcotics substances were retrieved from the consignment of sugar on Saturday, 12 September 2020.”
A physical search is said to have commenced on Thursday, September 10 by NACOC officials with assistance from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
“The suspected narcotics substances were on Saturday, 12 September 2020, found concealed in the bags of sugar in container number MSCU6874205.
“Eight (8) bags of sugar were identified to have suspected narcotic substances concealed in each.
“In all, 150 slabs of substances suspected to be narcotics were retrieved from the consignment under the joint operation.”
A number of persons have been arrested since then.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment were to be delivered to TRADEPASS Ghana Limited.
It was shipped by Brazilian firm USINA SANTA ISABEL S/A Fazenda Tres on behalf of Dubai-based SUCDEN MIDDLE EAST.
The exhibits tested positive at the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) laboratory.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana