A security analyst, Dr Kwesi Ening, has said the recent confiscation of heavy weapons by the Ashanti Regional Police Command in Kumasi, represents an escalation and worsening of arms trafficking in the country.
Last week, the Police in Ashanti Region arrested and detained a 72-year old Burkinabe, Moro Sata, believed to engaged in illegal weapons supply in the West Africa sub-region.
[contextly_sidebar id=”uH2WZhYpOqv73soK386hIyxB4fRoxf8Y”]They seized from him, 11 AK47 assault rifles, 10 SG rifles used by the military, a machine gun, four firing pins, clocking handling and anti-aircraft ammunition.
This is believed to be the biggest weapons and ammunition seizure by the Police in that region.
According to Dr Kwesi Ening, the central location of Kumasi and the importance of the country in the fight against extremism in the sub region, makes it crucial for this problem to be taken seriously.
According to him, Ghana and West Africa should be more worried about the recent arms seizure and fears the threat is not being taken seriously enough.
“There is a basis for us to be worried as Ghanaians and there is a basis for us to be worried as West Africans,” he said.
“We seem to be waiting for something dramatic to happen before the proper questions are asked. We are not asking the proper questions and we are no taking the threats in this country seriously enough,” he further added.
Dr, Ening suggested the police carry out a more thorough investigation of the people arrested in connection with the weapons confiscated.
“The location of these weapons is not as innocent as people are making it seem. We need to go back and look at the laptops and telephones of these guys who have been arrested.”
He warns, “This is just the beginning of something that can cripple us in the long-term.”
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana