The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA), in collaboration with key national security and enforcement institutions, held a national training programme towards Operation KAFO VI at the Police Detective Training Academy, Tesano. This is a major cross-border initiative designed to combat the trafficking of illicit firearms and its growing link to terrorism and organized crime within the ECOWAS region.
The programme brought together 32 frontline officers drawn from 14 national institutions, including the Customs Division of the GRA, INTERPOL (Ghana Police Service), the Ghana Armed Forces, Immigration Service, Narcotics Control Commission, EOCO and GPHA. The others are GCAA, the Fisheries Commission, the National Intelligence Bureau, National Security Council, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Judicial Service.
Operation KAFO VI is supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), GIZ, the Government of Japan, and the UNODC Global Firearms Programme. This latest operation builds on the successes and critical lessons learned from the exercises conducted across Ghana’s major entry and exit points during Operation KAFO V. Through enhanced coordination, intelligence-sharing, and frontline capacity-building, KAFO VI seeks to strengthen regional security responses and protect communities from the destabilizing impact of illicit weapons.
Speaking at the opening, the Executive Secretary of NACSA, Dr. Adam Bonaa described the training as both important and timely, coming days after the Honourable Minister for the Interior declared a nationwide Gun Amnesty, running from 1st December 2025 to 15th January 2026.
The Gun Amnesty programme provides an opportunity for individuals in possession of unregistered or illicit firearms to surrender them without fear of interrogation, arrest, or prosecution. It forms part of the Government’s Comprehensive Measures to Reduce Illicit Firearms in the Country, which include:
- Encouraging the voluntary surrender of illicit firearms
- Strengthening border security during and after the amnesty period
- Equipping frontline officers with scanners and advanced weapons detection systems
- Conducting joint post-amnesty operations to retrieve remaining illicit weapons and disrupt trafficking networks.
The Executive Secretary emphasized that the success of these measures relies heavily on the competence, vigilance, and collaboration of frontline security personnel. This then makes the KAFO VI training an essential initiative.
The proliferation of small arms remains one of Ghana’s most complex security challenges, fuelling violent crime, enabling organized networks, and threatening the country’s peace and stability. Traffickers often exploit cross-border routes, weak detection systems, and uncoordinated enforcement across agencies.
Operation KAFO, an ECOWAS-wide initiative supported by international partners, has over the years generated critical intelligence, exposed trafficking patterns, and improved inter-agency collaboration. The KAFO VI national training aims to deepen these gains by equipping officers with enhanced operational skills in:
- Arms detection and identification
- Surveillance and monitoring techniques
- Interception procedures
- Intelligence sharing and inter-agency coordination
These competencies will directly inform the joint operations to be carried out under Operation KAFO VI and play a pivotal role in strengthening Ghana’s border security architecture.
The Executive Secretary commended participants for their dedication and urged them to take full advantage of the training by engaging actively, sharing insights, and building the teamwork required for effective field operations.
He also acknowledged the commitment of partner agencies whose continuous collaboration makes national interventions such as KAFO VI possible.
As Ghana prepares for the amnesty period and the subsequent enforcement phase, NACSA reaffirmed its commitment to working with national and regional partners to combat the trafficking of small arms, ammunition, explosives, drugs, and other contraband that undermine public safety and development.
Operation KAFO VI stands as a strategic step toward a safer, more secure Ghana and this national training programme marks the beginning of that coordinated effort.