Bullion van robbery: Police on manhunt for identified ‘killer’

Police have mounted a search for one identified suspect from the cold-blooded gang that shot and killed a cop in a bullion van heist in Accra.

An Accra Circuit has issued the warrant for the arrest of Hakam, popularly known as Red Devil, reliable sources of The Ghana Report have revealed.

Just as his name suggests, Hakam is a key member of the trigger happy robbers who did not hesitate in sucking the soul out of the body of No.58449 G/Constable Emmanuel Osei.

Police retrieved atleast 17 shells from the scene after the gun-totting criminals fled with their booty stolen from the MON TRAN vehicle.

Hakam was picked out after painstaking investigations and analyses of videos that captured the criminal operation on Monday, June 14.

He is fair in complexion and has a tattoo on the right hand that stretches from his shoulder to his forearm.

Another tattoo is embedded on his chest as photos show him in a white singlet and a pair of tattered jeans.

The suspect is seen seated on a couch with a bottle of expensive liquor Hennesy in one hand and a stick of cigarette in the other as he appeared in a larger than life pose.

He is believed to be hiding in Tamale, Yendi, Kumasi, Accra or Tema.

Details of the robbery

According to the police, unidentified armed men on several motorbikes crossed the bullion van, which was on a pay/collection errand, at about 1100 hours at Adedenkpo, a suburb of James Town.

The robbers shot at the police officer on escort duty on the van, killing him instantly.

The armed men also fired sporadically in the air and on the driver, who sustained gunshot wounds.

A hawker was also killed by the armed men when one of two ladies on the bullion van stepped out and ran in the deceased seller’s direction.

Both ladies on the van, tellers of MON TRAN, escaped unhurt but were sent to the hospital to be treated for trauma.

Crime scene experts have visited the scene of the crime and are going through the necessary procedures.

Reactions after the robbery

Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery initially appealed to an individual in possession of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the shooting to release it to the police.

Mr Dery had said that a man believed to be the owner of (CCTV) device was unwilling to assist in investigations.

Mr Dery emphasised no individual in the country ought to be killed in such a manner and wants the culprits brought to book.

The minister also expressed concern over the protection that banks and other financial institutions provided to transit vehicles that cart their money and the individuals who carry out the exercise.

He observed that such vehicles did not provide the police, money and other persons the needed protection, thereby exposing them to easy attacks by armed robbers.

He reiterated calls by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, for banks and financial institutions to ensure they conformed to the standardised operational requirement in carting huge sums of money.

Meanwhile, the IGP has given financial institutions a June 30 ultimatum to acquire armoured vans.

Failure to provide fortified vehicles for carting currencies would result in the police withdrawing personnel from guarding bullion vans.

Consequently, the Ghana Association of Bankers has assured the public that it would comply.

The Association has also assured that it would continue to work closely with the various security agencies and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in ensuring adherence to the highest standards.