COCOA SMUGGLERS ARRESTED IN WR (BACK PAGE, NOV 3)

TWO persons who allegedly attempted to smuggle 44 bags of dried cocoa beans valued at GH¢5,520 to neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire have been arrested at the Osu Checkpoint in the Bia District of the Western Region.
It took the vigilance of an Assistant Collector of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Mr Edem P. Amega, assisted by Mr Francis Kotto, the Bia District Chief Executive (DCE), who emerged at the scene, to apprehend the suspects.
The suspects, Foster Karikari, 28, a purchasing clerk, and Awudu Abudu, alias Abu, 28, a driver, were handed over to the Debiso Police.
The suspects were put before the Debiso Magistrate’s Court on October 10, 2009 and they were remanded in prison custody. But when they re-appeared before the court, presided over by Mr Lawrence Buer, on October 28, 2009, they were granted bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 with one surety each to be justified.
They were charged on two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and attempting to smuggle cocoa without authority, contrary to Section 317 (1) of Act 29 of 1960, and are to appear before the court again on November 11, 2009.
By the order of the court, the cocoa beans are to be sold to any accredited licensed buying company and the proceeds given to the police for safe-keeping until the final determination of the case.
The court ordered that the vehicle which was used for the crime should be released to the owner, who should keep it within the vicinity so that it could be traced at any given time it was needed.
Police Chief Inspector Daniel Ahedemola Ogidigidi of the Debiso Station, who briefed newsmen on Saturday, said about 5 p.m. on October 10, 2009, the CEPS official sent the accused persons to the police station and reported that they were carrying cocoa in a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number WR 9256 C.
According to Chief Inspector Ogidigidi, the customs officer indicated that he was on duty at the Osu Checkpoint of CEPS when the vehicle emerged and, upon inspection, he detected that it was loaded with cocoa beans.
He said when Mr Amega demanded the waybill covering the luggage, the suspects could not produce any satisfactory one, adding that just as the customs officer was questioning the suspects, the DCE arrived on the scene and the suspects were arrested and handed over to the police.
In a related development, a team from National Security, led by Inspector James Tampuri, has arrested and handed over to the Debiso Police four persons who were allegedly smuggling 68 bags of dry cocoa beans to Cote d’Ivoire.
They are Seth Aidoo, a driver; David Asum, James Donkor and Kofi Doryor who were conveying the cocoa beans in a KIA truck, with registration number AS 858-09, on October 19, 2009.
Briefing newsmen, Chief Inspector Ogidigidi said the team, which was on a special exercise, intercepted the suspects but when they were asked to produce a waybill, they could not satisfy the group, who then arrested them.