‘Any type of firearm can harm’ – Festus Aboagye warns against downplaying importation of gas pistols

A Security Analyst with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre has warned against downplaying revelations by the police that a seized container of what was thought to be ammunition are mere gas pistols.

Col Festus Aboagye (rtd) told GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview that while the sudden announcement by police that the flagged consignment of goods from

Read full articleTurkey were only non-lethal guns, the nation must focus on the security issues that even the gas pistols pose.

“Any type of firearm can inflict harm. The rounds that they say are pepper sprays…when they leave the barrel at a specific force and range, it may be sufficient to kill you.

“If it falls on your face together with the canister, you could be blinded,” he said.

When the news about the seizure of the flagged container at the Tema Port broke last month, Florence Asante, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Communication and Public Affairs, told the media that “after examination, 18 packages identified as restricted items were found in the container. These include 436 Pistols (side arms), 26 packs of 50 pieces of ammunition and a 40ml piece of pepper spray.”

The container arrived from Turkey and its contents were labelled as personal effects.

But after about one month, police have said upon close examination, they have found that the seized items were not what they were thought to be.

Director of the Criminal Investigative Department (CID), COP Ken Yeboah, revealed on Thursday, November 5, 2020, that upon close examination, police have found that they were not lethal weapons.

Col Festus Aboagye (rtd) said the arrival of the gas pistols into the country has security implications.

“These types of guns can be modified by anybody who has a workshop and knows how to modify those types of items. Blacksmiths can modify them… Bottom line, it has security implications," he said.

Gas pistols are non-lethal weapons and are used mostly for self-defence purposes.