Police raid narcotics dens in Ashaiman

Police teams from Tema and Ashaiman Thursday dawn raided hideouts of suspected drug peddlers and criminals at Ashaiman Tulaku near the old tollgate, arresting a handful of them and tearing down their dens.

A number of the suspects managed to escape in the densely populated settlement which also is home to a number of kraals with makeshift abattoirs.

Led by Tema Regional Police Deputy Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwaku Boadu Peprah, the police vowed to sustain the exercise until the area is cleared of the narcotics pushers, some of who are users also of mainly Indian hemp.

Fags of smoked rolled leaves suspected to hemp were scattered all over the place, while match boxes for lighting were stuck away in secured places.

The police set fire to clothing abandoned by the fleeing suspects as well as the pieces of wood and tarpaulin that were used to raise the bunkers.

ACP Boadu Peprah, who was himself in fatigues and deeply involved in the pursuit of the outlaws, told Graphic Online that the exercise was part of the promise to rid the society of crime and make the coming Christmas a peaceful and enjoyable one.

Some of the arrested suspects who were being held in police pick-ups sobbed tearfully, claiming they were innocent of the illegal activities.