2 alleged area NDC coordinators nabbed by GIS for smuggling G3 riffles | Video
At around 5 p.m. today, a significant incident occurred at the Sangba Inland checkpoint, involving the arrest of two individuals named Nlibe Otanpi and Balon Matthew. According to authorities, Balon Matthew also claimed to hold the position of an area coordinator for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The suspects were apprehended by vigilant Immigration officers who discovered that they were in possession of two disassembled G3 rifles neatly packed in a box, along with approximately 40 rounds of ammunition. The pair were traveling separately on motorbikes at the time of their arrest.
The situation unfolded when the officers, following standard procedure, insisted on searching their box despite the suspects’ attempts to shield its contents. Trying to avoid detection, Otanpi and Matthew made a desperate attempt to bribe the officers with a sum of GHS 20.
The officers, however, steadfastly refused the bribe, prompting the two men to attempt a hasty escape. Their efforts were in vain, as the officers pursued and successfully detained them after a brief but determined chase.
During questioning, Balon Matthew provided conflicting accounts regarding the origins of the disassembled rifles. Initially, he asserted that they had been purchased from a military individual, with each rifle bearing the hefty price of GHS 25,000.
However, in a contradictory statement, he later claimed that the weapons had been acquired from his uncle residing in Accra. This inconsistency only deepened the officers’ suspicions and further complicated the unfolding investigation.
