The Police last weekend arrested Tanko Awal and Assibi Yusif for allegedly possessing whitish substances suspected to be cocaine at the Samenye barrier at Half Assini junction in the Western Region. Kofi Duku Arthur, Commissioner of Police and Western Regional Police Commander, told a press conference at Sekondi on Monday, July 2, 2007. He said in the morning of June 30 this year, policemen on duty at the barrier on Takoradi-Elubo Road stopped an Urvan passenger bus from Takoradi enroute to Elubo. Mr Arthur said a search in a handbag belonging to Awal and Assibi revealed, "four slabs sealed with cello tapes suspected to contain cocaine concealed in assorted clothings", 400,000 cedis cash and 50 US dollars were found on Awal. He said during interrogation, Awal said the bag and the items was given to him at Avenor Hotel in Accra by one Alhaji Counsellor travelling from Abidjan in La Cote d'Ivoire to Nigeria for Alhaji Counsellor's driver at Elubo. Mr Arthur said Awal denied knowledge of the contents of the bag while Assibi alleged she only accompanied Awal to Elubo because she had never been to the area. He said the suspects had been remanded in prison custody by a Sekondi District Magistrate's Court and would be handed over to Narcotics Unit of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigations and prosecution.Source: GNA