96 arrested in Tema

Tema, Dec. 22, GNA - Ninety-six suspected criminals including two women were on Wednesday arrested in a joint police and military operation in Tema Community One, Sites two and 20. Supt.

George Ankobil, District Commander of Tema Railways and Ports Police and Major Kingsley Torwudjo of the First Battalion of Infantry (1BN) led the operation. The exercise, which was carried out by 346 men and 15 officers started at dawn.

They cordoned-off the two sites and conducted searches in the rooms of residents. Supt. Ankobil, who briefed the press, said some dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp, some whitish powder believed to be cocaine, a number of television sets, video decks and motor bikes, were seized during the exercise.

He said the owners of the items have been asked to produce receipts to show where they bought them and appealed to those who had lost similar items to report at the Tema Regional Police Headquarters to identify them. Supt. Ankobil said the recent spate of armed robbery in the municipality "demands such an operation" to rid the two sites of drug peddlers and thieves.

He assured the public that vigorous screening is going on and those who were wrongly picked up would be released while the criminals would be prosecuted. A number of residents interviewed by the Ghana News Agency in the business centre of Tema welcomed the exercise, stressing that if all such criminals would be kept away, "we will spend a peaceful Christmas." GNA