Police intercept pregnant goats

The Afienya police patrol team at dawn on Monday intercepted six pregnant goats concealed in sacks on the Tema-Akosombo Highway which were believed to have been stolen.

Three persons were also arrested in connection with the animals which were loaded in an Opel Astra taxi with registration number AW 2691-13 that were being transported to James Town in Accra for sale.

Tease Justice, 45; James Yehoko, 27 and Kofi Dodamekpowoe, 23, who reside at Odumase in the Eastern Region with the two other suspects from Kpong, were the names of the arrested suspects.

Suspects who are assisting the police with investigations were being kept in the cells of the Afienya Police Station for allegedly stealing nanny goats from pens in Kpong in the Volta Region.

The suspects reportedly concealed the animals in sacks, causing their deaths as a result of possible suffocation.

Briefing DAILY GUIDE, Chief Superinten­dent Samuel Kwesi Ofori, the Dodowa District Police Commander, said the incident occurred on Monday, February 23, 2015 around the Afienya toll booth.

According to him, around 4am, police patrol team during their usual snap checks, spotted the cab. He added that during inspection, they spotted sacks in the booth of the cab and demanded to see the contents.

Further checks, he indicated, conducted on the sacks revealed six dead goats and the suspects were immediately arrested.

The commander explained that during police interrogations, the suspects admitted stealing the goats from Kpong and were being transported to James Town in Accra for sale.

According to the suspects, any­time they succeeded in stealing the animals, they conveyed them to the mar­ket for sale, after which the proceeds would be shared.

Upon interrogation, they mentioned one Chairman as their leader who engaged them to steal the animals for him to sell to prospective buyers.

Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori said the dead goats might be sold in order to prevent them from going bad; and the suspects would be prosecuted based on the evidence.