Ivorian arms dealer arrested: Behind biggest arms cache in Kumasi

Abdul Kadri Aria,

A 72-year-old Ivorian was yesterday arrested at Akwatialine in Kumasi for possessing a large cache of arms and ammunition.

The suspect, Moro Sata, claims to have received the arms from Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Also arrested were four Ghanaian accomplices whose names were not disclosed by the police for security reasons.

The arms included anti-aircraft guns.

Other arms and ammunition seized were 11 AK 47 assault rifles, 10 G3s, 45 automatic sidearm, 9mm AK 47 tracer ammunition, one machine gun, one clocking handing, 45 automatic G3 ammunition, four firing pins and five 12.7mm ammunition.

Sata was said to have mentioned Abdul Kadri Aria, another Ivorian, as the source of the arms supplies.

According to the police, some of the automatic guns can fire continuously for six hours unless they are destroyed by rocket-propelled grenades.

Briefing

Briefing the media in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Nathan Kofi Boakye, said Abdul Kadri Aria was said to have sold the guns and ammunition to Sata, who in turn would have sold them to the public.

The gang, he said, used Ghana as a transit point to sell the arms to conflict-prone West African countries.

Mr Boakye said the police had mounted very coordinated investigations into the matter and could not give the names of those arrested for fear of compromising the ongoing investigations.

He assured the public that the Ashanti Regional Police Command would do all within its power to preserve the prevailing peace in the region.

He urged the public to cooperate with the police by volunteering information that would help them to contain any criminal activities.