I was made to swallow drug pellets at gun point – Ugandan

A Ugandan who has been put before an Accra High Court for expelling 67 pellets of cocaine mixed with heroin says he transported the drugs under duress and out of necessity.

Frederick Bugo, a marketing manager is before the court on charges of possessing narcotic drugs without authority and importation of narcotic drugs without licence.

He pleaded guilty with explanation.

The court presided over by Mr Justice Edward Charles Ekow Baiden entered a plea of not guilty, noting that Bugo’s explanation constituted a defence in law.

Bugo said a man at gun point compelled him to swallow the 67 out of the 100 pellets adding that the said man offered him $1,500 to deliver the drugs to someone in Ghana.

Admitting that the he has suffered some economic hardship, he told the court he could not watch his kids become beggars, school drop outs or robbers hence was pushed into the act of transporting the drugs.

The court remanded him into Police custody to reappear on July 30. Prosecuting Mercy Arthur, a Senior State Attorney is expected to call four witnesses as trial commences.

Prosecution said on April 25, this year at about 12:00am operatives of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) were on their routine check at the Kotoka International Airport.

The NACOB operatives suspected Bugo of carrying drugs hence put him under 48 hour surveillance where he expelled 67 pellets of mixed cocaine and heroin.

Prosecution said the drugs were forwarded to the Ghana Standard Authority for examination and test conducted proved positive of cocaine and heroin.

Source: GNA