'Atemuda' Is Laced With Indian Hemp - GSA

Containers full of substances for preparing

Containers full of substances for preparing Preliminary investigations by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) have indicated that the illegal sex-enhancing alcoholic beverage, ‘Two Fingers Special’, also known as ‘Atemuda’, produced in Sekondi/Takoradi is laced with Indian hemp.

According to an official of the GSA, basic examination of the alcoholic beverage, otherwise known as ‘Judgement Day’, in Accra showed that the composition of the ingredients contained prohibited drugs.

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) Monday locked up the production unit of the alcoholic beverage which was concealed in the toilet and bathroom of the manufacturer.

The product, which has no label, manufacturing/expiry date, batch number and FDB number, is said to have been sold to thousands of men seeking to enhance their sexual performance.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the FDB, Mr James Lartey, said the board would continue to work with the police to ensure that like-minded people were apprehended.

He said considering the number of people patronising the product currently and the danger it posed to them, a team of investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters who were part of the initial arrest team were heading for the Western Region for thorough sampling.

He underlined that Indian hemp was a prohibited drug and must not be administered to people knowingly or unknowingly.

When graphic.com.gh visited the premises of the manufacturer on Monday, the Western Regional Police Command had positioned armed policemen to ensure that there was no intrusion to tamper with investigations.

The police indicated that the manufacturer, Mr Joe Krampah, had been moved to the national headquarters of the CID in Accra to help in investigations.

In a related development, six drinking bar operators within the Accra metropolis have been arrested by the police for selling 'Atemuda' to unsuspecting members of the public.

Large quantities of the local gin, also called ‘Judgement Day’ were seized, while the suspects are being processed for court.

Field tests conducted on all the seized drinks by officials from the GSA tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp or wee.

Those arrested are Jerry Linsay, 63, proprietor of Jerfry’s Spot; Kwabena Naaba, 54, owner of Naabasan Drinking Bar; Osei Kofi, 45, operator of Captain’s Spot, all at East Legon.

Others are Nana Hemaa Bamfo of Chrisdas Drinking Bar at Abelemkpe and Akua Sagua, owner of Anadwo Ye De Spot at Dansoman.

Briefing the press in Accra on Tuesday, the Director-General of the CID, Commissioner of Police Mr Prosper Agblor, said following intelligence reports that certain individuals were selling to the public an alcoholic beverage laced with Indian hemp, the Narcotics Unit of the department mounted a series of operations between March 23 and 26, 2012 to arrest the proprietors of the bars.

Mr Agblor said preliminary investigations revealed that the drink was being manufactured in a factory in Takoradi owned by Joseph Krampah, alias Two Fingers.

He warned members of the public to desist from taking alcoholic drinks whose active ingredients they did not know, since some of them were likely to be produced from narcotic drugs, as in the case of ‘Atemuda’.

“We all know the effect narcotic drugs have on persons who abuse them. We also know that the abuse of alcohol can lead to tragic consequences and a combination of the two can, therefore, be injurious to the health of users,” he said.