Security personnel in Nkwanta in the Oti Region have intercepted a large quantity of ammunition following two separate intelligence-led operations carried out on May 17 as part of efforts to curb the illegal movement of arms and maintain peace in the area.
The joint operations, involving police and military personnel, led to the arrest of two suspects and the retrieval of hundreds of rounds of ammunition concealed under suspicious circumstances.
In the first operation, a night patrol team at a security checkpoint in Nkwanta intercepted a 66-seater MGI passenger bus with registration number AS 248-P.
A search conducted on the vehicle uncovered 750 live J/G cartridges concealed in a black polythene bag. The ammunition had been packed in three brown boxes containing 250 rounds each.
According to preliminary investigations, one of the occupants, identified as Hudu Mahama, a 53-year-old driver’s mate, admitted ownership of the ammunition during interrogation.
In a separate operation on the same day, a joint Police and Military task force pursued a suspected motorbike rider believed to be transporting ammunition illegally.
During the chase, a box reportedly fell from the suspect’s motorbike before he escaped. Security personnel later retrieved the box and discovered 125 AA cartridges and 125 BB cartridges, bringing the total recovered in that operation to 250 rounds.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of another suspect, Christian Kwasi Alonise, aged 57, in connection with the recovered ammunition.
The operations form part of ongoing security measures aimed at preventing the illegal circulation of arms and ammunition in the area.
Below is the statement from the police:
