Ghanaian In US Army Jailed 70 Months For Smuggling Guns Disguised As Rice To Ghana
- A US Army Major, Kojo Owusu Dartey, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for the smuggling of weapons
- The smuggled guns were concealed within blue barrels of rice and household goods, according to court files
- The conviction followed a joint effort between law enforcement agencies and authorities in Ghana and USA
A US Army Major has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his involvement in a firearms smuggling operation to Ghana after he was found guilty last year.
Kojo Owusu Dartey is also facing three years of supervised release for his crimes.
Source: Youtube
Dartey, aged 42, was convicted of conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a licence, and smuggling goods from the US, among other offences.
The US Attorney's Office for North Carolina also noted that played a key role in a marriage fraud scheme involving soldiers at Fort Liberty and foreign nationals from Ghana.
During the trial, from June 28 and July 2, 2021, Dartey is said to have purchased seven firearms in the Fort Liberty area and acquired three more to smuggle to Ghana.
He concealed the weapons inside blue barrels, hiding them under rice and household goods.
With the help of an Army Chief Warrant Officer, he smuggled the barrels out of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on a container ship destined for the Tema port in Ghana.
The smuggling attempt was thwarted when the Ghana Revenue Authority discovered the hidden firearms upon arrival at the Port of Tema.
The seizure was subsequently reported to the US Drug Enforcement Administration attaché in Ghana.
Source: UGC
Dartey's involvement in marriage fraud
At the same time, Dartey was a witness in the trial which involved the prosecution of 16 people in a marriage fraud scheme between soldiers on Fort Liberty and some Ghanaians.
Dartey had tipped off officials on the alleged crime but is also said to have lied to federal law enforcement about his sexual relationship with a defence witness in that case.
The US Attorney's Office for North Carolina said he lied on the stand and under oath about the relationship.
Recent instances of illicit smuggling
Meanwhile, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) interdicted some staff allegedly involved in a narcotic smuggling incident at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The incident was discovered after the smuggler was apprehended by Brussels police in Belgium. The GACL assured the general public that it was committed to ensuring safety and security at the KIA.
Five businessmen arrested at the Kotoka International Airport for drug smuggling were jailed for 60 years. The five were caught with 2,200 grams of narcotics at the airport in 2019 after surveillance by authorities.
Smuggling between Ghana and Nigeria
YEN.com.gh reported in November 2024 that security agencies intercepted a consignment of smuggled mining explosives.
The explosives, believed to have been constructed in Nigeria, were transported by road and brought in through the Kpoglo border.
The Chronicle reported that the seizure on May 29, 2024, was made by the security agencies at the Segbe Border Post north of Aflao.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
