4 Grabbed With AK 47 Guns
A Kumasi-bound truck, laden with AK 47 assault rifles and a number of ammunitions concealed in sacks of cola nuts and charcoal, has been intercepted by a taskforce of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).
Occupants of the vehicle have also been arrested.
The CEPS personnel, acting upon a tip-off, arrested the vehicle which was coming from Cote d'Ivoire at Anwia Nkwanta on the main Kumasi/Obuasi road in the Ashanti Region.
Upon a thorough search, the security agents discovered nine brand new AK47 rifles and a foreign made pistol, concealed under sacks containing cola nuts and charcoal.
Four persons on board the truck- the driver of the vehicle, which has a foreign registration number, and three others who claimed ownership of the cola and charcoal- have been arrested in connection with the case and are being interrogated.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has taken charge of the case which sent shockwaves across the city.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the CEPS office in Kumasi around 12 noon yesterday, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Augustine Gyenning, the Regional Minister, Dr. Kwaku Agyeman Mensah and KMA Boss Samuel Sarpong were seen inspecting the truck.
Briefing the media, Mawusi Dadjo, the Ashanti Regional Commander of CEPS, said her men were alerted that some people were trying to transport offensive weapons from Cote d'Ivoire to Asawase in Kumasi.
Armed with this information, the CEPS personnel stayed on alert and quickly impounded the truck when it reached the CEPS checkpoint at Anwia Nkwanta around 10:00am.
Upon a thorough search, they discovered that nine AK47 rifles and a sophisticated foreign pistol had been concealed in sacks which were containing cola and charcoal.
All those on board the vehicle, including the driver, Mrs. Dadjo stated, were immediately hauled to the CEPS Regional Office at Amakom in Kumasi where the items were retrieved from the truck.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Agyeman Mensah, praised the CEPS personnel for their professionalism and dedication to work which contributed to the arrest of the suspects.
Describing the arrest as a major breakthrough by the security agents in the region, he entreated them to sustain their hard work to help maintain the peace and unity flourishing in the region.
The suspects have been transferred from the CEPS office to the Ashanti Regional Police Command where they are being detained.
The Regional Police Commander, DCOP Gyenning, promised that the police would do a thorough job with regard to unearthing the whole truth about the matter, which could have an effect on the security of the state.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi