Two police officers in a narcotics tafficking scheme jailed
Assistant Superintendent of Police Nasiru Amadu, 48, and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah, 43, were convicted of unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic narcotics
A Circuit Court in Tema has handed custodial sentences to two police officers found guilty of participating in a narcotics trafficking scheme uncovered nearly four years ago.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Nasiru Amadu, 48, and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah, 43, were convicted of unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic narcotics after a protracted trial. Sentencing was delivered by Her Lordship Aleanor Kakra Barnes Botchway.
Prosecutors told the court that suspicions first emerged in 2023 when a police officer at the Afienya District Command raised concerns about the conduct of the two men.
At the time, Amadu was the second-in-command at the Sakumono District Police Headquarters, with Mintah serving as a service driver under his supervision.
On 19 November 2023, a snap-check team received intelligence that a Nissan Navara pickup, registered GP 727, was moving narcotics from Ho toward Accra. When the vehicle arrived at the checkpoint at about 19:15 GMT, officers intercepted it. A search uncovered eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of what was later confirmed to be narcotic drugs.
Investigators later established that Mintah had ties to a relative—identified only as “Oluman”—a known narcotics dealer based in Ashaiman Tulaku.
Mintah had reportedly been hired to transport Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region. He then contacted ASP Amadu, who himself engaged with the dealer to finalise the arrangements.
The two officers travelled in the police vehicle to a forested area near Peki Tsibu, where a Benz bus delivered the drugs. Their journey back to Accra was halted at the police checkpoint, where they were arrested. Evidence presented to the court indicated this was not their first such operation.
Tests conducted by the Forensic Crime Laboratory confirmed the nature of the seized substances.
The court ruled that the officers had unlawfully possessed narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, breaching:
Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)
Section 37(2)(b) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019)
Amadu and Mintah received custodial terms of 10 years and 5 years respectively, to run concurrently. In addition, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000.
Failure to pay the fine will attract an extra three-year jail term.
