Albert Kan Dapaah
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, has debunked media reports over a supposed arrest of some 170 terrorists in the just ended joint international security operation dubbed: “Koudanlgou III”.
According to him, rather a total of 427 people were arrested in the cross border joint operation.
Out of the number of people arrested, he said, 333 were Ghanaians and 94 were foreign nationals, including Burkinabes, Nigerians and Togolese, most of whom have been deported to their countries.
The Ghanaians, he said, were being screened and others already in court.
Mr. Kan Dapaah said the people arrested were just criminals who were picked up in connection with illegal possession of weapons, narcotic drugs, and others who were engaged in some illegal activities including illegal mining in some forest reserves.
The National Security Minister was speaking at Bawku in the Upper East Region, at ceremony to climax operation Koudanlgou III.
Operation Koudanlgou III is the third since the joint border security operation was initiated in 2018.
This year, only Ghanaian and Togolese security personnel participated in the cross border operations, even though seven countries had earlier agreed.
Operation Koudanlgou is aimed at dismantling and neutralizing criminal gangs operating within the common borders of Ghana and Togo and other neighbouring countries, using state security resources.
BY Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bawku