A coordinated security operation involving the Bono Regional Police Command, the 3rd Infantry Battalion (3BN), and the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) has led to the arrest of 24 suspects and the recovery of a cache of weapons and related items in Sampa Township.

In a statement issued on Saturday, March 21, the intelligence-led exercise, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, forms part of a broader effort by regional security agencies to clamp down on criminal activity and the proliferation of illegal arms.

Authorities described the operation as a targeted intervention aimed at dismantling networks believed to be involved in unlawful activities within the area.

According to officials, the operation resulted in the seizure of eight assorted firearms, including five pump-action guns, a Baikal gun, and two locally manufactured weapons. In addition, 790 rounds of AAA and BB cartridges were recovered, alongside a wide range of other items believed to be connected to criminal operations.

These included 21 machetes, four bayonets, five clubs, six knives, and various pieces of equipment such as a pouch, pliers, a chisel and a torchlight. Security personnel also retrieved two foreign military jackets, two body armours—one lacking a metal plate—and a quantity of AK-47 ammunition.

Further items seized during the raid comprised six keypad mobile phones, 12 smartphones, eight motorbikes, a rickshaw, and an official stamp bearing the inscription “Nana Samgba Gyafla II President Sampa Traditional Council”. A quantity of talismanic objects was also among the exhibits recovered.

The suspects arrested span a wide age range, from teenagers to elderly individuals. They include Losina Ibrahim (21), Siaka Sirachi (20), Nketia Samuel (58), Wuli Kwabena Mensah (54), and Daniel Damoah (16), among others. Notably, several minors were also apprehended during the operation, raising concerns about youth involvement in criminal activities.

Police confirmed that two of the suspects—Sie Emmanuel, aged 28, and Mensah Kofi Emmanuel, aged 18—were specifically arrested for breaching curfew regulations in force at the time of the operation.

All suspects are currently in police custody and are assisting with ongoing investigations. Authorities have indicated that preparations are underway to prosecute those found culpable in accordance with the law.

The Bono Regional Police Command reiterated its commitment to maintaining law and order and urged members of the public to support ongoing security efforts.