Regional News of Monday, 21 May 2012

Source: GNA

CEPS commended for intercepting guns

Officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at Aflao have been commended for intercepting 50 pieces of pump action guns on Friday on board a Nigerian registered articulated truck.

Mr. Henry Ford Kamel, Volta Regional Minister commended the personnel when he visited Aflao on Monday.

He said it took a special eye to uncover the guns due to the way and manner it had been concealed.

The visit was to enable the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) to update itself on the seizure, interact with CEPS officials and also update the media on the facts of the matter.

He said the interception is a message to all unscrupulous persons “who would like to take things for granted that they would not have their way”, but said it was unfortunate the suspect escaped arrest.

Mr. Kamel assured all the security agencies that the VRCC would encourage them to enable them to execute their roles of keeping the region peaceful.

He said tensions are high towards this year’s elections and that nothing would be left to chance as far as security was concerned.

Mr. Dan Molley, Head of the Last Arrival Check Point, where the truck with registration number XV 163-FST was intercepted, briefed the Minister.

He said the truck pulled up at about 2130 hours on Thursday May 17 and his officers detected the plates forming its floor were unusually fixed and the vehicle was detained overnight for proper examination.

Mr. Molley said the driver finally confided in his men that he concealed only some wax prints but as his men insisted on examining the vehicle, he (driver) requested to visit the gents and he escaped.

The CEPS officials went ahead to examine the truck at 1600 on Friday and discovered the guns, four cartridges and 60,000 US Dollars in 100 dollar notes, 325,000 naira, in 1,000 naira notes and 70,000 CFA Franc in 10,000 notes, all of which had been checked at a local bank to be genuine, in the same compartment as the guns. **