Security forces in Ethiopia have recovered a large cache of weapons after a successful sting operation in the country. The forces recovered 2,221 handguns and 71 Kalashnikov rifles in the north of the Amhara region.
The large illegal weapons cache was seized during a joint operation carried out by the Ethiopia National Intelligence and Security Service and police in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara regional state. The operation was targeting illegal importers and dealers of weapons in the country that appear to supply to insurgents and criminals.
The operation revealed that the large shipment of weapons was being smuggled inside an oil tanker truck that entered Ethiopia from Sudan. While it is unclear the origin of the weapons it is quite clear that the political unrest in Sudan offers favorable conditions for the smuggling of weapons and other contraband.
The seizure comes at a time where the Ethiopian government is seeking to halt ISIS from recruiting and creating a foothold in the country. Previously, intelligence has indicated that a large portion of guns used by al Shabaab has been illegally imported through Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Despite the final destination for the guns yet to be known, the Ethiopian government is preparing legislation that puts heavy prison terms on arms dealers, in a bid to stem the rising trade in illegal weapons in the country.
