The Western Regional Police Command has made a major drug seizure, arresting three individuals after intercepting two Kia trucks loaded with suspected cannabis.

The vehicles, with registration numbers GE 8965-12 and GS 3368-17, were stopped at the Assorku Barrier in the Shama Municipality and at the Nkroful Junction around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Officers reportedly refused a GH₵69,000 bribe offered by two of the suspects to secure the release of a colleague.

Superintendent Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Public Relations Officer at the Western Regional Police Headquarters, explained that the first truck, coming from the Accra highway toward Takoradi, carried bags of a substance covered with sawdust. While three passengers fled, one was apprehended.

“That arrest subsequently led to the interception of another vehicle at the Nkroful Junction, which was also loaded with the same substance,” she said.

Police recovered a total of 152 bales from the two vehicles, each containing around 80 units of what is suspected to be Indian hemp.

Two men, Kwabena Forson, 55, and Isaac Kwame Kontor, 44, were arrested for attempting to bribe police with GH₵69,000 to free Moses Kweku Tawiah, 44, who had been detained earlier at the Assorku Barrier.

“So far, the police have arrested three persons in connection with the operation. The two individuals, Kwabena Forson, 55, and Isaac Kwame Kontor, 44, arrived with GH₵69,000 in an attempt to negotiate with police for the release of their colleague, Moses Kweku Tawiah. Unfortunately for them, the officers rejected the bribe and arrested them as well. The truck has since been offloaded, revealing about 152 large bales of the suspected substance. Each bag contains approximately 80 pieces of compressed substances suspected to be Indian hemp, wrapped in yellow wrappers. The police have commenced investigations, and if the suspects are found culpable, they will be arraigned before court,” she stated.

Superintendent Adiku also praised her officers and warned would-be traffickers to stay away.

“We are on high alert, and anybody who tries to pass through our corridors with this substance will be arrested and made to face the full rigours of the law. I would like to commend our police officers; they were very alert on duty. If not for their vigilance, this truck with 152 bales would have passed to Côte d’Ivoire or wherever they were headed. So, we commend our men for a good job and encourage them to be more alert on duty so that these miscreants passing through our corridors will be arrested,” she added.