Le Baron Hotel owner arrested with another in London for drug trafficking

Two Ghanaians, including the owner of Le Baron Hotel at East Legon in Accra, David Kwadwo Anim, have been busted at the Heathrow Airport in London for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.

The other suspect is Kofi Antwi Nkansah, a businessman.

They were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police.

Anim has been described by the security agencies as the leader within the drug trafficking organisation responsible for co-ordinating the transportation of large quantities of cocaine and heroin around the world.

Major drug gangs

He is also alleged to have serious ties with major drug gangs in Europe, South America and the United States of America.

The two suspects were said to have delivered 500 kilogrammes of heroin to undercover drug enforcement officials on January 22, 2014 without any incident.

Provisional  arrest warrant

Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra Monday, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Nii Lante Blankson, said the arrest was in pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued by the United States for the arrest of the two Ghanaians and a Nigerian.

According to him, Anim, Nkansah and Adjayi Akpo, the Nigerian, had each been indicted and charged in the Southern District Court of New York for the violation of United States Drug Enforcement laws.

He said Adjayi was, however, on the run but said an intensive search had been mounted for his arrest. 

Nii Blankson said since 2012, the NACOB, in collaboration with its foreign counterparts, had been conducting a joint operation on Anim.

The arrests

He said Anim had been able to escape arrest until April 26, 2014 when he was busted at the Heathrow Airport while going through arrival formalities. 

Nii Blankson indicated that the following day, April 27, 2014, Nkansah was also arrested on arrival at Heathrow from one of the Asian countries.

He said the two suspects were to be extradited from the United Kingdom to the Unites States to face trial.