The police have destroyed 150 acres of cannabis also known as 'wee' farms with a street value of more than one million dollars by spraying at Dabea-Gyakiti near Akosombo in the Eastern Region.
Four suspects (names withheld) for security reasons including the owners of the farms and labourers have been arrested by the police to assist in investigations.
The two-day operation was led by the Director of the Drug Law and Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Superintendent of Police (Supt) David Selom Hukportie in collaboration with Narcotic Control Board (NACOB).
In an interview with Supt Hukportie yesterday, October 10, 2019, he said the operation followed intelligence by the police which led to the discovery of the large scale of cultivation of cannabis on mountains and enclaves of the area.
He said last Monday, a combined team of personnel from the CID and NACOB with assistance from the local police from Akosombo in the Eastern Region went to the enclave and on top of the mountain where numerous large farms of the cannabis were located on about 150 acres of land at Dabea-Gyakiti.
Supt Hukportie said the team also found thatched houses where some harvested cannabis were stored.
He said the cultivated cannabis farms were weeded sprayed with chemicals and the harvested cannabis stored in the houses burnt.
The director said four people were arrested by the team at the farms and have since been put before the Odumase Circuit court.
The director said the purpose of the exercise was to enforce the PNDC law 236 of 1990 section 4 Sub Section (1) which stipulates that “No person shall cultivate any plant which can be used or consumed as narcotic drugsâ€.
He said that sub Section (2) stated that any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than ten years.
Supt Hukportie said the operation was ongoing to clamp down on such cultivation and the use of the drugs.
He said drug abuse which can be linked to violent crimes has effects that include social and health problems and affect the country’s image.
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The director commended the Italian Embassy for donating drones and motorcycles to the CID for the operation and appealed to them to assist the police to eradicate the menace.
Supt Hukportie expressed worry over the engagement of school-going children on such cannabis farms and called on the public to provide valuable information to the police on such farms for the necessary action and assured that their identity would be protected.
Credit: Ghanaian Times