SOLDIER, CIVILIAN ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING (1B, MAY 31, 2010)

Story: Zakaria Alhassan.

A combined team of the Special Operations Unit of the Ministry of Finance and the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in Tamale on Saturday intercepted a Military truck loaded with contraband goods that included some assorted cigarette.
The vehicle with the registration number 98 GA 27 that was heading towards the South, was impounded at Buipe at dawn. It contained over 180 cartons of cigarettes that include brands such as “Gold seal” and “Business Royal.” It was impounded at Buipe at Saturday dawn.
The driver of the vehicle, Warrant Officer Nicholas Adiyiah and his civilian accomplice who is a mechanic, Kweku Yeboah from the Military Brigade in Kumasi are assisting in investigations. The third civilian suspect, one Sule is however on the run.
Briefing the press at the CEPS office in Tamale, the Operations Coordinator of the Unit, Mr. Nelson Awudu who led the team explained that the exercise was carried out upon a tip-off that some Military vehicles were being used to transport contraband goods at some boarder towns in the country.
He said following the information, the team was tasked to move round the various boarder points where they had stationed some of their men.
And that last Friday, they received information from their informants that a Military vehicle was heading towards the Bole/Cote D’Ivoire boarder post.
“Our men then laid ambush while our surveillance team tracked the vehicle to the boarder post at Bangupe at the banks of the Black Volta near Balli at the Bole district where the goods were being loaded into it,” he indicated.
Mr. Awudu however explained that because it was a Military vehicle, “we thought the people in it were probably armed, and so we did not get near it at the time.”
He said they however monitored the movement of the vehicle throughout its journey in the bush from Bole through Sawla, Damongo and to Buipe.
According to the coordinator it was when the vehicle got to Buipe that they called the CEPS Officer in-charge of the Northern Sector, Mr. Ernest Frimpong Nuamah for re-enforcement of personnel.
The vehicle was eventually intercepted and brought to the CEPS headquarters in Tamale.
Upon hearing the information, the General Officer commanding the Northern Command, Brigadier General Chris Ocran came to the CEPS office where he was briefed on the incident by both Mr. Awudu and Mr. Nuamah.
Brigadier General Ocran could not immediately tell the Daily Graphic the immediate action to be taken against the suspects but indicated that it will be treated as a criminal offence and that further investigations will be conducted into the case.
Earlier, the driver of the impounded vehicle who said he is due for retirement in some few months told the press that, he signed for the vehicle to pick his personal effects.
WO Adiyiah however claimed he was later asked by his friend to assist him carry the goods from Bole for a fee.