70-year-old blacksmiths arrested for manufacturing, supply of weapons to criminals

Police retrieve six locally manufactured pistols and 8 single barrel guns from suspects

Police on manhunt for buyers of illegally manufactured guns

Two old men to be charged for possession of firearms

Two old men in their mid-70s have been arrested by the Eastern Regional Police Command for allegedly manufacturing and supplying weapons to criminal gangs.

The suspects according to a Citi News report have been identified as Richard Kwame Asare, aged 76, and Kojo Tetteh, aged 74.

The two who are professional blacksmiths are said to have been manufacturing weapons and selling them off to criminals at a fee.

They were arrested by the police upon an intelligence operation to clamp down on crime. The police have since retrieved six locally manufactured pistols and 8 single barrel guns following the arrests of the suspects who are both residents oof Pakor near Adawso in the Akuapem North Municipality.

Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DPS Ebenezer Tetteh confirming the arrest of the suspects noted that a manhunt has been launched for persons who have bought weapons from the old men.

“The suspects will be charged for possession of firearms and put before the court to face the full rigors of the law. We are pursuing the persons who have benefited from this criminal venture,” DSP Tetteh said.

“Very soon, we will zero in on some of these persons who have benefited from this criminal venture, i.e, persons who have bought locally manufactured pistols and these types of guns from these persons,” he added.