Trader gets 10 years for unlawfully possessing narcotics

The Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 39-year-old petty trader to ten years imprisonment in hard labour for unlawful possession of narcotics.

Samuel Hagan, alias “Tuga,” denied the offence but he was found culpable after the trial by the Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah. 

 Police Chief Inspector Benson Benneh told the court that complainants in this case were police personnel stationed at Mamprobi and Hagan was a petty trader, who lived at Dansoman Beach Road.  

The court heard that on February 4, 2022, at about 6pm, the Mamprobi Police Command embarked on an operation to arrest suspected drug peddlers and users within its jurisdiction. 

Chief Insp Benneh said the team, acting on a tip-off, went to a ghetto at Dansoman Beach and whilst there, Hagan was spotted with a polythene bag containing wrappers of dried plants suspected to be narcotic drugs, which he was selling.

Prosecution said the police arrested Hagan with 42 wrappers of dried plants suspected to be narcotic drugs. 

Chief InspBenneh said Hagan claimed ownership of the 42 dried plants, suspected to be narcotic drugs, and that he was selling them. 

Prosecution said the exhibit was forwarded to Police Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. – GNA