Ashanti Police arrest three illegal arms dealers
The Ashanti Regional Kumasi Police Command has arrested three men alleged to be manufacturing illegal fire arms.
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Richard Osei, 26, Daniel Akakpo, 32 and Issaka Iddrisu, 23, alleged also to be dealing in the sale of ammunitions including G3 and AK 47 rifles, were arrested at Abuakwa on the Kumasi-Sunyani road last Thursday.
The suspects, who claimed to be goldsmiths, are currently in police custody helping with investigations.
The police have also mounted a search for the arrest of five accomplices who are on the run to assist in their investigations.
A total of 12 G3 and two AK 47 rifles, as well as 24 A.A and 14 BB cartridges were retrieved from the suspects.
Also retrieved from the suspects after their arrest were 17 double-barrelled guns, one pump action gun, two locally manufactured pistols and five mobile phones.
According to the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Augustine Gyenning, Osei, Akakpo and Iddrisu were arrested following an intelligence report the police received on their activities.
Briefing the media in Kumasi about the incident, DCOP Gyenning said following an intelligence report that Osei, Akakpo and Iddrisu and their accomplices were dealing in illegal manufacture and sale of weapons and ammunition, agents of the police feigned interest and contacted the suspects, who agreed to supply them with the weapons and ammunition.
He said it was during the transactions that the police arrested them and retrieved the items.
According to the Regional Police Commander, five accomplices, however, escaped but gave an assurance that with the arrest of the three; the escapees would also be arrested to help in their investigations.
Expressing concern about the sale of illegal arms and ammunition, DCOP Gyenning said the police were bent on arresting and prosecuting those who dealt in them.
According to DCOP Gyenning, as a result of the fear of being arrested and prosecuted, a number of armed robbers on their wanted list had gone underground and had been dealing in the sale of weapons and ammunition.
He said it was such people who supplied weapons to robbers who used them to harass law-abiding citizens.
DCOP Gyenning appealed to the public to report suspicious characters to enable the police to flush them out of society.
By George Ernest Asare/The Mirror/Ghana