NACOB busts cocaine syndicate

Page 31: Daily Graphic, February 19, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A COLLABORATION between Ghana and her foreign partners has resulted in the busting of a Ghanaian-led international cocaine trafficking syndicate.
The Switzerland-based syndicate, led by 60-year-old Ghanaian woman, Beatrice Agama, alias Mama, and also known as Gubelmann Siddiqui, included Cynthia Tetteh, alias Cynthia Tschudin, 55, Beatrice Annor Owusu, alias Maku, 35, Samuel Darko, alias Sammy, 34, all Ghanaians and Timothy Chinedu Bethel Obasi, 45, a Nigerian and three others suspected to be Ecuadorians. They were mentioned as Rokas Vizbaras, Aurimas Bobinas and Lukas Venckus.
While Beatrice Agama, Samuel Darko and Beatrice Owusu are currently in custody in Switzerland, Cynthia Tetteh and Timothy Obasi are in custody in Ecuador.
Interestingly, Cynthia Tetteh was discharged by the High Court in Accra for her alleged mental imbalance after she was arrested on January 3, 2009, for concealing cocaine in her vagina in an attempt to smuggle the drugs to Switzerland.
Security sources described Madam Agama as the organiser, financier and chief advisor to members of the syndicate.
The sources said Cynthia was associated with Beatrice Owusu, Beatrice Gubelmann and Samuel Darko.
They said Cynthia travelled to Ecuador in September 2009 to establish liaison with Bethel Obasi.
According to the sources, Beatrice Owusu and Samuel Darko had sent Lithuanian couriers to Ecuador with Cynthia supervising the supply sent by Bethel Obasi.
They said Beatrice Owusu and Samuel Darko had both allegedly confessed to transporting drugs.
When contacted, the head of Operations of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Dickson Akatsa, confirmed the arrests to the Daily Graphic.
He said after Cynthia was discharged by the court in Accra, NACOB sent her profile to foreign partners to put her on the watchlist.
According to him, it was through the watchlist that Cynthia came to security notice in September 2009, which made NACOB’s international partners to closely monitor her movements.
Mr Akatsa said subsequent investigations led to the uncovering of other members of the syndicate.
Meanwhile, he said, 14 drug couriers were convicted to various terms of imprisonment, ranging from 10 years to 30 years, between January 1 and February 12, 2010.