Bawku: Suspected arms dealer arrested

The police in the Upper East Region have arrested a suspected illegal arms dealer. He is said to be the one who has been selling arms to help fuel the protracted Bawku conflict.

The Bolgatanga Divisional Police Command upon intelligence arrested the suspect, Clifford Dinka Wednesday [May 11, 2022].

He was arrested on the Tamale-Bolgatanga highway while he was in the process of selling arms to one of his customers, the police said.

According to the Police, a combined motorbike and vehicle patrol teams monitored and apprehended the suspect.

A search conducted in the suspect’s room at Zorbisi, a suburb of Bolgatanga, led to the retrieval of one unmarked foreign pistol, two jackknives, a cutlass and a plastic toy rifle.

The suspected customer who was patronizing the suspect is on the run and a manhunt is underway to arrest him.

Arrest

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Upper East Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr David Fianko-Okyere explained that Dinka, a native of Bawku, the capital of Bawku Municipality, is alleged to be a supplier of arms and ammunition to fuel the protracted violent Bawku chieftaincy crisis which had been lingering for many years.

He stated that a search conducted in the suspect’s room at Zorbisi, a suburb of Bolgatanga, led to the retrieval of the exhibits.

He said, “the suspect will be arraigned before a court in due course as the police had initiated a manhunt for the arrest of the suspected customer who is currently on the run to be put before court too”.

ASP Fianko-Okyere further entreated the public to help the police with information on the suspect and his activities.