The Enquirer newspaper reported on Friday that as the government works hard to redeem the image of the country from the stains of trafficking of narcotic drugs, barons are also devising new mechanisms to outwit security agencies at the airport. The barons who are having difficulty in using their couriers have resorted to the use of students in various tertiary institutions in the country, according to the paper. “Information available to The Enquirer indicates that students from Ghana's premier university, University of Ghana, Legon, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) are where the barons recruit the students.” The paper gathered that the recruitment exercise gets to its peak at the end of semesters and that the targets of the barons are mostly female students. The Enquirer learnt that the barons as a way of concealing their identities have front men who do the recruitment on their behalf. A source at the KNUST told the paper that during the end of last semester there were rumours that there was recruitment of drug couriers to the US and other parts of Europe for a fee. According to the source, successful couriers were to be paid between $6,000 and $8,000 depending on the destination. As part of the deal, an initial enticement fee of $1,500 and other material offers are made to the prospective couriers. The Enquirer gathered that upon successful recruitment, the students are made to go through two-week training on how to outwit the security agencies at the Kotoka International Airport. The paper learnt that the motive behind the recruitment of students is that students easily get visas to travel outside during semester breaks. Again, most of the students who are eager to travel outside cannot afford to bear the expenses involved and see the offers by the barons as the best opportunity. At Legon, The Enquirer gathered that students who frequent various amusement centres are the main target of the agents of the barons. The Enquirer investigations revealed that those who successfully deliver the narcotic drugs are offered the chance to embark on another trip. It came out that some of the students are now agents themselves recruiting their colleagues for a fee. The government in recent times has come up with various mechanisms to fight the trafficking of drugs because the country's image was at its lowest ebb as far as the illicit trade is concerned. A number of arrests have been made after tightening security checks at all entry and exit points to clamp down on the traffickers. However, the barons persistently device more sophisticated means to outwit the security agencies. Source: The Enquirer