In Togo, the central police station of Lomé arrested last week a suspicious car which had under the luggage in the hood, two (2) boxes containing a total of 1300 12mm caliber hunting cartridges.
According to the National Police statement yesterday, the seizure was made on April 30, 2021 around 1 a.m. by a patrol team a few hundred meters from the border with Ghana.
In this AUDI car, registered TG-8827-AH, there were five (5) passengers, including a Togolese, two Nigerians, a Beninese and a Ghanaian.
Suspected, the car was brought back to the unit and its search in the presence of the passengers made it possible to find, carefully hidden under the luggage in the hood, two (2) boxes containing a total of 1300 hunting cartridges of 12mm caliber.
“These cartridges which are used to supply the rifles and hand-made pistols are used in almost all the crimes committed in Togo”, indicates the National Police.
Mr. YAYA Kadiri, of Beninese nationality, born December 18, 1997 in Djougou, teacher in Kassoua in Benin and living there, declares to have bought the said ammunition in Accra at Tudu, from a certain AMINOU of Ghanaian nationality.
Quite naturally, he transited with his parcels through Togo to arrive in Kassoua in Benin where he lives.
“The arrest of these individuals is sufficient testimony to Togo’s tireless fight against transnational crime.
Research is underway to find out the origin of these cartridges and better fight against this illicit traffic.
The five (5) individuals will be presented to the Public Prosecutor in Lomé. ” Police noted in their statement.
The latter concluded by recalling that the illicit traffic in ammunition constitutes an offense provided for and punished by the New Togolese Penal Code in its art. 555.