2 arrested in Bissau on weapons possession

By Frederic Tendeng
A court in Bissau Tuesday charged and ordered the remand of Cesar Nilton Teixeira Barbosa, a Cape Verdean national and his Lebanese accomplice, Jean Hal Jaal, for importing unauthorized weapons and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The two were arrested and detained in Bissau since February 9th by the country’s police. Information from the investigation revealed that the two suspects were in possession of several firearms with silencers and chargers for twenty bullets each. In addition, the men were found with supplies of 200 bullets for each.
Neither the investigators nor the Bissau court have so far established the real motives behind the presence of the suspect in the country. However, police believe that their profile corroborates information given in January to Guinea Bissau security personnel as regards the presence of potential max men in the territory. The description given to the police at that time mentioned the existence of sniper weapons like those found in the hands of Cesar Nilton Teixeira Barbosa, and his Lebanese accomplice.
Guinea Bissau has in recent years become a favorite scene for international organized crime and drug trafficking. Political instability coupled with the weaken state and its institution has fuelled corruption and rivalry within the  state security apparatus that culminated to the double assassination of former President Nino Vieira and the army head, General Tagmé Na Wai.