Lebanese, 38, Picked Over cocaine

A 38-year-old Lebanese, Youssef Salloum, has been arrested by the police for alleged illegal possession of six kilogrammes of suspected cocaine. Preliminary tests by the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), the police and the Ghana Standards Board confirmed the substance to be cocaine. At the time of his arrest, Salloum was alleged to have been �high� on some of the cocaine. The Madina Police, which raided the West Legon residence of the Lebanese car dealer, retrieved pump action gun, a pistol, ammunition, two passports, one Guinean and the other Lebanese, both belonging to the suspect, and a cocaine sniffing pipe. A broken ice chest in which the cocaine had been concealed and imported to Ghana was also retrieved by the police. Briefing newsmen in Accra last Thursday after receiving the initial test results from the Ghana Standards Board, the Accra Regional Police Commander, CEOP Rose Bio Atinga, said the police had a tip off that Salloum had, on December 17, 2009, brought into the country substances suspected to be cocaine. She said the Madina Police moved in after tracing the suspect�s house on December 19, 2009. According to her, when the ice chest in which the drug was concealed was inspected, a Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) mark on it confirmed that the ice chest had been cleared on December 17, 2009 as per the information received. DCOP Atinga said an inspection of the two passports indicated that the Lebanene passport had been issued on June 13, 2007, while the Guinean passport had been issued on October 23, 2008. The suspects, she said, claimed that he had been in Ghana for the past two years and dealt in cars. DCOP Atinga said the police were determined to deal with criminals and warned them to change their ways.