7 NABBED FOR "419" ACTIVITIES (Page 44)

12/05/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
THE Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has smashed a group engaged in activities popularly referred to as 419 and suspected to have duped some businessmen of large amounts of monies.
Seven members of the group, including a woman, were arrested at their hideout at Tetegu near Weija on Monday following a tip-off.
Large quantities of Wakanga and Gingo seeds said to be used in the cure of cancer and fake gold dust were found in their room during a search.
Two saloon cars — a Nissan Altima and a VW Vento — which they allegedly used for their operations were also retrieved from their house.
They are Richard Adams, 32, a trader and leader of the group; Emmanuel Allotey, 35, a taxi driver; Jeremiah Owusu, 25, a driver; Kwaku Dua, 28, unemployed; Kobby Banson, 38, a trader; Peter Andoh, 25, and Esther Ofori, 26, a hairdresser.
The Commander of the Commercial Crime Unit of the CID, Superintendent Maame Yaa Tiwaa, said the police had declared war on such operatives in the country.
She said over 50 such cases, involving the sale of Wakanga seed, Shark Oil, Gingo Seed, Moringa seed and fake gold dust among others to defraud people — have been recorded from the beginning of the year to date.
The Commander said last year alone, 20 cases were recorded and victims lost monies ranging between $5,000 and GH¢150,000.
The Commander said a trader from New Tafo in Kumasi, called Muniru Mohammmed, reported to the unit that some people had duped him of GH¢3,400.
She said according to the complainant he had a call from someone who said he was calling from the United Kingdom and that he had a business deal for him.
The caller told him there was a seed in Ghana called Wakanga used in curing all types of cancer and that it was in high demand in the UK.
Supt Tiwaa said the caller informed the complainant that he had met a white man in the UK who was planning to come down to Ghana to buy the seeds at $500 per sachet.
She further said the caller said he knew a man in Takoradi who sold some for $300 per sachet.
Convinced that he would make a profit of $200 on each sachet, Muniru called the white man who said he would be arriving in Ghana in a week’s time to buy large quantities of the seed.
Supt Tiwaa said Muniru also called the supplier in Takoradi who promised to supply the seed.
On arrival, she said, the white man called and demanded a sample so Muniru called the Takoradi man who met him and sold one sachet of the seed to be shown to the white man.
Supt Tiwaa said the white man requested for 24 sachets so Muniru bought the quantity from the supplier but when he took them to the white man, he was nowhere to be found and his mobile phone also switched off.
The supplier could not also be reached so Muniru made a report to the police, Supt Tiwaa said, adding that while at the police station Muniru had a call from the taxi driver, who offered to show him the house of the supplier for a fee of GH¢200.
The police advised Muniru to agree to the proposals and accompanied him to the venue, where the taxi driver was arrested and made to take the police to the hideout of the criminals.
The Commander said on Monday at about 11 p.m., Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ebenezer Nketiah, who is in charge of operations at the unit, led a team of policemen to a house at Tetegu where the seven suspects were arrested.
She said the complainant identified one of the suspects as the one who supplied him with the seeds.
Upon interrogation the suspects admitted to the offence and pleaded with the police to give them sometime to pay back the money they took from the complainant.