Kojo Owusu Dartey, a US Army Major, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for smuggling firearms to Ghana, concealed inside blue barrels of rice and household goods. Dartey, 42, was convicted for conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a license, and smuggling goods from the US. The smuggling operation was thwarted when the Ghana Revenue Authority discovered the weapons upon arrival at the Port of Tema.
The guns were smuggled via a container ship from Baltimore, Maryland, to Tema, Ghana, with the help of an Army Chief Warrant Officer. Dartey also played a role in a marriage fraud scheme involving US soldiers and foreign nationals from Ghana.
The case highlights growing concerns around smuggling activities, with other recent instances of illicit activities, including narcotics smuggling at Kotoka International Airport.
