Braving The Mud To Defeat The Drugs Traffickers

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In January 1997, Kwame Mainu was at Kumasi University in Ghana helping to run a short course for small enterprises on accounting with computers. As he was expecting a Kumasi-based drugs cartel to revive their efforts to recruit couriers from Kumasi academics visiting the UK, a British under-cover agent, Tam Gordon, had been attached to Kwame’s team from Warwick University. It was believed that the cartel planned to conceal cocaine in carved wooden coat hangers and Kwame thought that he could find out where the coat hangers were to be made.

Kwame drove Tam in the old Land Rover to the informal industrial area known as Anloga, a place dominated by carpenters and woodworkers of all types. Behind the workshops, charcoal burning kilns were in perpetual operation, filling the air with gases that stung noses and caused eyes to redden and flood. Kwame failed to find a path between piles of timber, stacks of wooden products and huge potholes filled with water from last evening’s great storm. ‘It’s not far from here, we can walk,’ Kwame said, ‘but I’ll have to get out on your side if I’m to keep my socks dry.’

Walking was almost as difficult as driving because a considerable pedestrian traffic dominated the least muddy tracks between the obstacles. Carrying head-loads of long wooden planks, chairs and tables and huge sacks of wood shavings, the bare-footed locals in shorts made no concessions to visitors who were less suitably dressed. ‘I hope this will be worth it,’ called Tam, as he slithered and cursed and watched Kwame draw ever further ahead.

Kwame was heading for SRS Engineering, the workshop where the coat hanger forming machines had been manufactured. He was about to turn off the road when he realised that Tam, trailing behind, might not see where he had gone. He waited for Tam to puff and perspire his way to where he was standing. ‘It’s right here,’ Kwame said, leading the short distance to the SRS workshop and knocking on the open door of the manager’s office. As always the welcome was cordial.

‘What can we do for you?’ Solomon Djokoto asked.

‘Can you tell us about the machine for making hollow wooden coat hangers,’ Tam replied.

‘The wood is formed in two identical halves, but they needed one machine to form the outside and another machine to form the inside.’

‘Is there any chance of seeing the machines?’

‘I doubt if they would show you. They regard them as industrial secrets.’

‘Are they here in Anloga?’

‘No, but not far away, – near the Hanabis sawmill and the Shell filling station.’

‘I know the place,’ said Kwame.

As they were about to leave, a thought struck Kwame. ‘Do you still have the original pattern? He asked Solomon. ‘No, they insisted on taking it away when the machines were collected, but I still have my sketches.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Tam, ‘Do you mind if I take a photograph?’

‘Go ahead,’ said Solomon.

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