Four people are in police custody in the Upper West Region after a tip-off led officers to a commercial vehicle smuggling 50,000 rounds of ammunition along an unapproved route and after a bribery attempt aimed at securing the suspects’ release backfired.
The Upper West Regional Police Command says the operation began on Sunday, June 29, 2026, when intelligence indicated a Kia Topic vehicle, registration number UW 139-12, was hauling a large ammunition consignment outside Wa Township.
Regional Operations Commander DSP Joseph Nakoja led a team — Chief Inspector Muntari Karim, Inspector Braimah Issah, General Sergeant Daniel Konadu, CPA Bayor Koyaaro and General Lance Corporal Emmanuel Nyarko — to stake-out suspected routes. The vehicle was intercepted at about 6 p.m. on the outskirts of Kumbiahe, a suburb of Wa.
A search uncovered 200 boxes of AA cartridges concealed beneath floor tiles and other cargo — 50,000 rounds in total. The driver, Alhassan Issahaku, 25, and his assistant, Iddrisu Mashood, admitted to the concealment under questioning. A third man, [Issahaku/Alhaji], 66, of Dobile in Wa, arrived at the scene and claimed ownership of the ammunition; he was arrested along with the other two, and the vehicle was impounded.
The case took a further turn at the police station, where Sharif Alhassan, 22, allegedly offered officers GH¢12,000 to release the suspects and the seized exhibits. Officers declined the bribe and arrested him on the spot, bringing the total number in custody to four.
Police say the ammunition, the cash, and the vehicle are being held as exhibits as investigations continue, and have renewed their appeal for public tip-offs to support law enforcement efforts.
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