Four armed robbers have been arrested in connection with an attack on a mining site at Fenaso Ketewa near Obuasi on Tuesday, 2 June 2022.
However, a fifth suspect, whose name was given as Mallam, was shot dead when he engaged the police in a shoot-out. He died on arrival at the hospital.
A statement from the police said the robbers were armed with pump-action guns and had attempted to rob the miners of some gold ore but were unsuccessful. They, however, were able to make away with 50 litres of diesel.
A special intelligence-led operation conducted by the police resulted in the arrest of suspects Porideme Moses, Boadi, Agya Owusu, and Osofo at their hideout.
Items retrieved from them include a locally-manufactured pistol, a pump-action gun, nine (9) BB live cartridges, eight AAA live cartridges, and fifty litres of fuel.
All the suspects are currently in police custody and will be arraigned before a competent court of jurisdiction after investigations are complete.
The police further assured residents of the area of their commitment to making the community safe and peaceful.
There appears to be a surge in reported armed robbery cases across the country, resulting in increased police visibility across the various communities.
Robbery cases on the rise
From January to the end of October 2019, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) early warning system records captured 80 armed robbery cases in Ghana.
Fast forward to 9 June 2021, a man was shot in the stomach in a daylight robbery by two armed men at Pig Farm.
He was pronounced dead 24 hours after being treated at the 37 Military Hospital.
That same day, two armed men also broke into a forex bureau near Honeysuckle in Osu and made away with an undisclosed amount of money.
The culprits in these two incidents are currently at large.
On 11 June 2021, an unidentified man, in an attempted robbery, attacked the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder with registration number GE-8088-11 on the GIMPA- Fiesta Royale road.
He threw a big stone at the vehicle, smashing its glass door, and tried to escape into a nearby bush. But he was arrested by the police after the victim drew the police’s attention.
On 14 June, three armed robbers on a motorcycle trailed a Mon-Tran bullion van and robbed occupants of the cash in the van –two were left dead at Adedenkpo in Jamestown.
Sometime in December 2021, two persons were arrested for the East Legon robbery that occurred on Sunday, 5 December.
Samuel Agyei and Sumaila Mahama are currently in police custody for further investigations pending court processes.
The suspects were arrested following a distress call received by the patrol team that some unknown men had invaded a neighbourhood at CPL Estate, East Legon Hills.
An initial search led to the retrieval of a 75-inch curved television set, an iPhone 12 pro max, one Techno smartphone, and a revolver pistol with four rounds of ammunition.
The team also found a KIA Morning Saloon car which the suspects had parked at the roadside.