Operatives of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority in the Ashanti Region, Wednesday, intercepted and detained an articulated truck carrying a cache of weapons concealed in bags loaded with kola nuts at Anwiankwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road. The truck, registered with an Ivorian number 6l88EE-01, was said to be on its way to the Asawase kola market, when it was intercepted by the Customs task force around 11:00a.m. on Wednesday. Weapons found on the truck include nine AK 47 rifles, one pistol, and 281 unspent cartridges which had been concealed in sacks loaded with kola nuts, charcoal, and tea bags. Boali Alhassan and Nusilu Acbko, the driver of the truck and his mate respectively, together with two other occupants of the truck, Ahmed Issifu and Ali Awudulai, were arrested and are currently being interrogated by the Kumasi police. Snippets of information picked by the Chronicle indicate that the weapons were being transported to one businessman at Asawase, whose name has been concealed for security reasons. The Ashanti Regional Commander of Customs, Mrs. Mawusi Dadjo, told the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Augustine Gyening, and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, Samuel Sarpong, during a briefing a few hours after the arrest, that they had information from a reliable source that an Ivorian truck, suspected to be carrying contraband goods, was heading towards Kumasi. Armed with the information, the Customs Commander said a team of personnel was dispatched to the Kumasi-Obuasi road, and fortunately managed to intercept the truck at Anwiankwanta. The Regional Commissioner said when the occupants of the truck were subjected to interrogation, they cou.1d not respond appropriately, leading to their subsequent arrest and the seizure of the vehicle. Further searches after the seizure revealed weapons concealed in some of the sacks, numbering over hundred, together with kola nuts, charcoal and tea bags. Meanwhile, Dr. Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah has commended the security personnel for their swift action, and expressed the optimism that investigations would be speeded up to unravel the faces behind the transportation of the weapons. He observed that with a few months left for elections, it was worrying to hear such reports of the transportation of weapons, and urged the security apparatus to continue to work hard and ensure that such incidents were nipped in the bud. The Regional Police Commander, on his part, assured the public that it was in full control of the security situation in the region, and would continue to maintain the peace and safety residents in the region are enjoying.