Abraham Akuetteh Otuafo, the suspect at the CID headquarters yesterday
An undercover operation of police officers has led to the arrest of a 41-year-old blacksmith who manufactures guns and sells them to armed robbers and the public.
The police are also searching for another man believed to be an accomplice.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, upon a tip off got to know about a blacksmith who was producing pistols for sale at Agormenya in the Eastern Region and therefore strategized to ascertain the truth of the matter.
Abraham Akuetteh Otuafo, the illegal manufacturer was arrested when a police officer from the CID head office in Accra, in an undercover operation, posed as the leader of an armed robbery gang who needed locally made pistols.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Prosper Kwame Agblor, Director General of CID told journalists yesterday that on June 7, 2013, the undercover police officer approached the illegal manufacturer who agreed to meet his needs.
He said the suspect, now in the custody of the CID, consented to sell two locally manufactured pistols at a unit cost of GH¢1500 with six months warranty.
After striking a deal, the suspect promised to deliver the weapons three days later against payment of the agreed price.
On June 10, 2013, while in the process of delivering the two weapons to the buyer who was the undercover agent, the suspect was arrested by officers from the Anti Armed Robbery Squad of the CID Headquarters.
His arrest was followed by a search at his workshop.
According to the CID boss, “When the police officers conducted a search they found one more locally made pistol, one single barrel shotgun and a verse which he uses in the manufacturing of the weapons”.
It was also discovered that the illegal gun manufacturer operated two workshops and when he led the police to his second place of work at Kojonya, also in the Eastern Region, more guns and implements used in his illegitimate business were retrieved.
The police retrieved four single barrel shotguns, three double barrel shotguns, one drilling machine and a hammer.
Also, a tool box containing nine pieces of 0.22 millimetre ammunition was recovered among others.
Director General of the CID said though the accomplice of the illegal gun manufacturer was on the run, efforts were being made to apprehend him.
Mr Ablor mentioned that it was illegal under section six of the Arms and Ammunition Decree, 1972 to manufacture and assemble firearms, arms of war, munitions of war or ammunition including explosives in Ghana.
“We are therefore appealing to the general public to assist us with credible information which will lead to the arrest of persons who manufacture and distribute weapons to miscreants for their nefarious activities.”
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