The Bono East Regional Police Command has arrested two persons after intercepting a Kia Rhino vehicle allegedly transporting a consignment of foreign cigarettes and 100 containers of suspected sodium cyanide at Jema.
The interception, carried out on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, followed what the Police described as actionable intelligence indicating that the vehicle was being used to transport contraband.
The driver, identified as Fusini Danaa, was arrested around 4:00 p.m. while driving the vehicle, with registration number UE 819-26, from Nalerigu towards Kumasi.
According to the Police, preliminary investigations have established that the consignment was handed over to Danaa by an unidentified person at Bentri, near Nalerigu, for onward delivery to a customer in Kumasi.
A search of the vehicle, which was loaded with maize, subsequently uncovered 321 boxes of foreign cigarettes, comprising 40 boxes of Royals, 175 boxes of Oris and 106 boxes of Gold Seal.
Also found in the vehicle were 23 bags of soya beans, 39 bags of groundnut husks and 21 bags of millet.
The Police said the most worrying discovery was 100 containers of suspected sodium cyanide, which were being transported alongside the food items.
The suspected cyanide has since attracted the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), which have taken samples for laboratory analysis.
The Police said the transportation of the suspected chemical together with food products posed a potential serious public health risk.
Danaa and his mate are currently in Police custody assisting with investigations as authorities work to establish the source of the consignment and identify other persons allegedly connected to it.
The operation was conducted by the Bono East Regional Police Intelligence Directorate in collaboration with the Police Intelligence Directorate Headquarters, Accra, and was supported by personnel from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Narcotics Control Commission (NACOB), Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (CEPS) and Defence Intelligence (DI).
The vehicle and all the exhibits have been secured, while investigations continue.
The Police Command said it was working to identify and apprehend all persons connected to the consignment and commended the participating security and regulatory agencies for their support.It also reaffirmed its commitment to combating crime and safeguarding public safety.
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