Police intercept vehicle carrying suspected contraband at Jema

At Jema on September 1, the Bono East Regional Police and its headquarters in Accra successfully intercepted a Kia Rhino vehicle being used to transport suspected contraband. The vehicle, driven by Fusini Danaa, was arrested at around 4:00 p.m. while travelling from Nalerigu to Kumasi.

DCOP Shaibu A. Sadique-Osei revealed that the operation was based on "actionable intelligence" indicating the vehicle's involvement in contraband transport. Preliminary investigations showed that the driver had received the consignment from an unspecified individual near Bentri, near Nalerigu, for delivery to a customer in Kumasi.

Upon searching the maize-loaded vehicle, police recovered 321 boxes of foreign cigarettes, comprising 40 Royals, 175 Oris, and 106 Gold Seal brands. Additionally, they seized 23 bags of soya beans, 39 bags of groundnut husks, 21 bags of millet, and 100 containers of suspected sodium cyanide.

The driver and his companion are currently in custody, cooperating with the ongoing investigation. The team from Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Narcotics Control Commission (NACOB), Ghana Revenue Authority (CEPS) Customs Division, and Defence Intelligence (DI) contributed to the operation.

Samples of the sodium cyanide, being transported alongside food items, were taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for laboratory analysis due to potential public health risks. The police have secured the vehicle and all exhibits, promising to continue the investigation to identify and apprehend all involved individuals.

The Bono East Regional Police Command thanked all agencies for their cooperation and assured the public of their commitment to crime-fighting and public safety.