Driver Busted With 33,000 Rounds of Ammun!tion from Benin – Faces Court Today

A 38-year-old man, Salifu Jalilu, is set to appear in court today, Tuesday, April 22, in Ho, after being arrested for allegedly transporting a large cache of illegal ammunition from the Republic of Benin into Ghana.

The arrest followed a routine security operation on Friday, April 18, when a passenger bus traveling from Benin to Accra was stopped at the Tadzewu-Mitsrikasa Police Barrier in the Akatsi North District of the Volta Region.

During the inspection, officers discovered a significant quantity of illicit ammunition hidden in the vehicle, sparking serious concerns about the growing threat of arms trafficking across borders.

According to the Volta Regional Police Command, the seized ammunition included 60 cartons of AAA cartridges—amounting to 15,000 rounds—and 72 cartons of BB cartridges, holding an additional 18,000 rounds. In total, 33,000 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

Two drivers were on duty at the time of the arrest. After preliminary questioning, investigators found that the consignment was allegedly loaded onto the bus by Salifu Jalilu, without the knowledge of his colleague, Abasou Fuseini.

“The second driver appears to have had no knowledge of the cargo,” a police source told reporters. “All evidence points to Salifu as the one responsible for secretly loading the ammunition.”

Salifu was promptly arrested and transported to the Regional Police Headquarters, where further investigations took place. He has since been charged and is expected to be arraigned in court today in Ho.

This incident adds to growing fears about illegal arms circulation within the region and raises questions about how such a large volume of ammunition was able to cross international borders undetected.

Security analysts have called for tighter border controls and enhanced surveillance at checkpoints to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Ghana Police Service has also urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to arms movement or smuggling operations.

Meanwhile, authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Benin and other neighboring countries to trace the source of the ammunition and determine whether Salifu was working alone or as part of a larger smuggling network.

As the case proceeds in court, Ghanaians await more details on what may be one of the country’s most alarming arms smuggling cases in recent years.