Ghana: Search on Hajj pilgrims yield contrabands

Officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) have retrieved large quantities of illegal substances from prospective pilgrims of this years Hajj at the Hajj Village in Tamale.

The illegal substances which include cola nuts, tramadol, and other unprescribed drugs were retrieved after the officials conducted a thorough search of the luggage of the prospective pilgrims as part of the checking-in process to ensure that illegal substances were not smuggled into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Graphic Online learnt that the would-be pilgrims were smuggling the substances that are illegal in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into Mecca and Medina to trade.

Some of the would-be pilgrims especially the women concealed the substances in bowls and bags.

According to officials of NACOB, substances such as cola nuts and unprescribed drugs were illegal substances in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and pilgrims who would be caught trading them would face the full rigorous of the country’s laws.

Meanwhile, the first batch of 601 prospective Muslim Pilgrims from the three regions of the North has been airlifted directly from the Tamale International Airport to Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims were flown in two batches on Sunday via Saudi Airline, Fly Nas and Boeing 767.
About 2,167 pilgrims are expected to fly from Tamale to Saudi Arabia in seven batches from Sunday, August 5, 2018 to Wednesday, August 8, 2018 while 3,369 prospective Pilgrims would also be flown from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra to Jedda in 11 batches.

In all a total of 5,536 pilgrims are expected to be flown from Ghana to the holy city this year by August 14, 2018.