Officials of the Cape Coast Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), on Sunday intercepted 380 parcels of substance suspected to be cocaine concealed 19 travelling bags at Ataabadze-Junction near Elmina in the Central region.
The regional Police Commander DOCP Rose-Bio-Atinga, who briefed the media at Cape Coast said, following orders from the police head office to embark on an aggressive vehicles check for items such as arms and drugs, especially on private vehicles, the regional MTTU began the exercise on Sunday.
She said the officials led by the unit Deputy Commander, ASP Fredrick Kojo Asare Mensah, were on duty at Ataabadze -Junction about 0800 hours when they intercepted a Toyota vehicle with registration number GR1204 Y with three people on board, heading towards Accra.
She said when the vehicle was searched 19 travelling bags loaded with substances suspected to be cocaine were concealed in the boot of the vehicle.
DOCP Bio-Atinga said whiles they were conducting the search, two of the suspects, known only as Chiko and Michael escaped into a nearby bush, whiles the driver Samuel Mills-Robinson, 49, was arrested.
She said Mills-Robinson offered the police 5,000 dollars for his release, but they refused the offer and took him to the regional police head office.
Mills- Robinson told the police that he was hired by some Nigerians to convey the substance from Bogoso to Accra for a fee of 40,000 dollars.
The regional Commander said the case was still under investigations and that everything would done to get the other two suspects arrested, and that, the substance would be send to the forensic laboratory for a test.
DOCP Bio-Atinga called on the public to support the police by giving them the relevant information to enable them to do their work effectively.
The Central regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, who went to the regional police head office upon hearing of the arrest, commended the police for the good work done and said he had realized that the Cape Coast MTTU lacked transport and promised to help address the situation.