Police intercept suspected Indian hemp, arrest driver at Asanso checkpoint

The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has intercepted a large consignment of suspected Indian hemp and arrested a 50-year-old commercial driver during a routine snap check.

The arrest was carried out on Tuesday, January 26, 2026, at the Asanso checkpoint along the Bekwai–Aputogya road by officers of the Bekwai District Police Command.

Police said a search on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus uncovered nine nylon sacks containing 714 slabs of compressed dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

The driver, identified as Atampugri Akanyani, was immediately arrested for questioning. Investigators said the suspect claimed the consignment was handed to him by an unknown person at the Kejetia Lorry Terminal in Kumasi and was to be delivered to another unidentified individual in Obuasi for a fee of GH¢600.

The suspected narcotic substances have been retained as exhibits to aid ongoing investigations, while the vehicle has been impounded. The suspect has since been arraigned before a court.

Speaking to the media, the Ashanti South Regional Police Commander, DCOP Joseph Hammond Nyaaba, reaffirmed the Ghana Police Service’s commitment to intensifying efforts to combat drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the region.