Police arrest five suspected cocaine dealers in Kumasi

Kumasi, May 6, GNA - The Police on Wednesday arrested five suspects at Krofrom in the Kumasi metropolis for allegedly dealing in cocaine. The suspects are Kwaku Agyeman Adama 38, Yaw Boamah 22, Yaw Boateng 29, Kwadwo Owusu 25 and Kwabena Appiah 32, a senior brother of Boamah. Mr frank Adu Poku, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, made this known at a press briefing in Kumasi on Friday.

He said the police had information that Boamah, also a shoe seller snatched someone's mobile phone and after he had been arrested by the police, he was also found to be a cocaine dealer and that led to the arrest of his other accomplices.

Mr Adu Poku said after their arrest, an amount of nine million cedis together with some unspecified quantities of cocaine were seized from them.

He said Madam Adwoa Adwubi, mother of Boamah and Appiah, who tried to influence the police in the case was arrested and upon investigations, it was found that she was not involved in the case and was therefore, set free.

The Police commander revealed that since January to April this year, 37 cases relating to narcotics have been reported and that 41 suspects are involved, including five females. They have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 18 years. Mr Adu-Poku described Krofrom as a notorious place for cocaine dealers and appealed to the public to help the police clamp down on such criminals.

He said the police would not favour anybody involved in criminal activities and warned that criminals in the metropolis would be dealt with drastically in their efforts to maintain peace and order. In a related development, Mr Adu-Poku said, on May 2, the police arrested three suspected armed robbers at Kromoase new site near Kwadaso after they had broken into the room of one James Frimpong and stole 4.5 million cedis and other items.

The suspects are Emmanuel Asare 23, Kwadwo Frimpong 23 and NdaAcemland 24. They were all wielding locally manufactured pistols. He said Frimpong fired at the complainant who was then rushed to hospital where he was treated and discharged. In the third case, Mr Adu-Poku said the police on Thursday arrested a 38-year-old driver, Kwadwo Yeboah and another suspected armed robber at Adankwame on the Kumasi-Barekese road.

He said the driver who was driving a Toyota Collora with registration number ER 89 A, was conveying three suspects who hired the car to Barekese and after reaching Adankwame, the police asked the driver to stop and in the process two of the suspects bolted while the driver and Maxwell Allenu were arrested.

Mr Adu-Poku said after the police had searched the boot of the car, a locally manufactured pistol and sharpened cutlasses were found. Police investigations on the cases are ongoing.