Three Ghanaians (all males) have been busted in New York City with over 100 illegal guns.
The three, who are believed to be cousins, are Abdul Haruna, 27, of Bronx, Murtala Haruna, 30, of Cincinnati, and Ahmed “Taju” Mutalib, 32, of Decatur, Georgia.
They were hit with a 575-count indictment charging them with criminal sale of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, conspiracy, and money laundering, the Queens District Attorney’s office said.
According to the prosecution, the trio were involved in an interstate gun trafficking ring as authorities wiped 109 guns — including 20 assault weapons — off the streets of the Big Apple.
The prosecutors alleged that Mutalib colluded with his two cousins (the Harunas) to smuggle and sell the weapons.
According to New York Queens District Attorney, Melinda Katz, the arrests which came off Monday, November 6, 2023, were a result of a seven-month “high-stakes, high-risk” investigation into the gun trafficking cartel, which began with an anonymous tip.
That investigation led to the seizure of 109 illegal firearms and rifles, 20 assault weapons, 139 high-capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The prosecutors revealed that a police officer who understands Ghanaian dialects was able to translate their conversations from Hausa, Ga, and Twi after the defendants’ phones were wiretapped.