Police in the Ashanti Region have seized 82 grams of substances suspected to be cocaine in what is believed to be the biggest drug haul in the region in recent times.

The police also arrested a 54-year-old Kofi Asamoah in his house at Atonsu where the substance was retrieved upon extensive search.

His 19-year- old nephew, Richmond Adjei Amoako, a Level 100 student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, was also arrested in connection with the case.

Police sources describe the cocaine seizure as the biggest in a single swoop outside the country’s ports.

Kofi Asamoah who is alleged to be on police radar for some time now has been described by persons who know him as a successful businessman who owns a chain of businesses, including a hotel.

Interestingly, before his arrest, the police were on the heels of another suspected drug dealer who had managed to outrun them, scaled a wall and escaped.

Police personnel in plainclothes had feigned interest in buying cocaine from the young man who is now at large. But upon realizing they security agents he bolted with 180 Ghana cedis the police had given him for the drugs.

But the police in hunting him down, entered Kofi Asamoah’s house where he was suspected to be hiding. They met Richmond who denied seeing the suspect around but when the police threatened to arrest him, Asamoah emerged and frustrated attempt to arrest the young man.

Nhyira News sources say, the police grew more suspicious of Asamoah’s behaviour and decided to conduct a search in his room. They didn't find anything in his room and so they proceeded to Richmond’s room. There, the substance believe to be cocaine was discovered, hidden in a drawer.

Richmond then named Asamoah as owner of the substances and the latter accepted responsibility.

Commander of the Drug Enforcement Unit, ASP Jeremiah Alale, declined to give details of the arrest except to say: “We’ve gotten a lot [of drug dealers]. In fact the public, we don’t say it so they don’t know what we are doing. But so many of them are in there [prisons]… the issue is that, the drugs are in short supply here now as I am speaking.”

Asamoah has since been remanded into prison custody by a Circuit Court in Kumasi.