CEPS officials at Asikuma arrest four for conveying Indian Hemp

Four persons including a driver and his mate were last Sunday arrested at Asikuma Barrier by officials of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), with 14 sacks of substances, believed to be Indian hemp.
Ibrahim Iddrisu, 35, driver, Richard Gadago, 19, and Hamidu Sakibu, 22, both driver's mate and Fred Asempa, 26, owner of the truck, were conveying 505 sacks of Indian Hemp hidden beneath a heap of sand in a tipper truck from Hohoe to Accra.
Briefing the press at Ho on Wednesday, Alhaji Ibn Alhassan, Chief Collector in charge at the Barrier, said the truck pulled-up at the Barrier between 1500 hours and 1600 hours on Sunday June 1, this year.
He said officials of the Service requested the driver to park near the barrier, but the mannerism of the driver drew the suspicion of officers to what was in the truck.
The Chief Collector said officers when the driver and the two mates were asked what they were carrying, and they replied that it was sand.
He said not convinced with the answer, the officers further asked the driver to tip off the sand.
Alhassan said it was when the sand was tipped that they saw the sacks hidden in the sand.
Alhassan said when questioned, the driver and his mates denied knowledge of the items and said the owner of the " goods" was following up in a different vehicle.
He said some few minutes later, Fred Asempa also pulled up at the barrier and was identified as the owner of the Tipper truck.
Alhassan said when approached, Asempa admitted ownership of the truck and its contents, but pleaded with the officers to “compromise” with him.
He said Asempa confessed that he had contracted the driver and his mates for the job for GH¢650.
Alhassan said after further investigations, the four were arrested with the tipper truck and its contents.