Military Instructor nabbed with bags of hemp

The carefully packaged cargo

A military officer is in the grips of the Ashanti regional police command for allegedly dealing in substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

The 36 year-old suspect has been identified as Sergeant Francis Tanoh, an instructor of the Akyease Jungle Warfare training school of the Ghana Armed Forces.

According to Ashanti regional police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Godwin Ahianyo, the suspect and an accomplice, 25 year-old Moro Mohammed, were arrested at Akomadan in the Ashanti Region on their way from the Brong Ahafo Region.

He told Luv FM's Kofi Adu Domfeh that the arrest followed a tip-off. The police had mounted a road-block in front of the Akomadan Police Charge Office, and on reaching there the driver was signaled to stop but he ignored the signal. He continued to Nkenkansu where he again ignored further signals to stop, following which the police gave them a hot chase.

The Deputy Police PRO said the driver rather took the Juaso township road towards Aburaso where he managed to drive into a nearby bush ostensibly to offload the 'cargo'. The police however arrived at the scene and arrested them while an examination of the four sacks revealed they contained dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp.

“Preliminary investigation reveal that the suspect on the said vehicle is No. 18817, Sergeant Francis Tanoh, an Instructor of Akyease Jungle Warfare and one other who was also on board the vehicle also known as Moro Mohammed, 25.”

He said the exhibits - dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp - are to be sent to the police forensic laboratory in Accra for scientific analyses and when investigations close, the suspects will be arraigned before court for prosecution.

Upon his arrest, the military officer who readily identified himself, carried his service I/D card while his uniform was tucked in a bag.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv FM/Ghana