Police retrieves 9 stolen vehicles from unsuspected buyers

The Ashanti Regional Police Command has retrieved about nine vehicles from some unsuspecting buyers at various locations that were sold to them by a notorious member of car syndicate Alex Owusu.

This was disclosed at a press conference held on Thursday, 3 September 2020 in Kumasi to give updates on crime situations in the region.

The 37-year old suspect was arrested by the Suntreso District Police Command on Tuesday, 11 August 2020.

Regional Police Commander COP Akwasi Duku noted that: “The modus operandi of the suspect is that he hires the services of taxi drivers from neighbouring towns such as Obuasi, Bekwai, Nkawkaw etc. to Kumasi under the pretense of coming to buy excavator parts at Suame magazine or visit his sick mother. The suspect on arrival in Kumasi will convince the taxi driver to have the cab washed at the washing bay and then persuade them to leave the car with the bay attendant. He then asks the driver to accompany him to Suame magazine to buy the supposed excavator parts.

“The suspect later takes leave of the victim with the excuse that he is going to withdraw money from the bank, only for him to return to the washing bay and take the ignition key from the attendants and drive the car away.”

The Regional Command revealed that with the assistance of the Kasoa District Police Command, it has “been able to apprehend him and through investigations, he has led Police to retrieve nine (9) of such vehicles. The cars have since been retrieved from its unsuspecting buyers at Nsawam, Adeiso and Kade in the Eastern Region and Kasoa and Akoti in the Central Region of Ghana.”

The retrieved car include: “Two Toyota Corolla LE Taxi cab, Two Hyundai Atos Prime Taxi cab, Two Daewoo Matiz Super Taxi cab, Two Toyota Vitz Taxi cab, Two Chevrolet Matiz Taxi cab, a Hyundai Getz Taxi cab and a Toyota Vitz Taxi cab.”

Also, the suspect was arraigned on 17 August 2020, before a Magistrate Court at Twedea and was remanded in lawful custody to assist with the investigation.

“All the retrieved taxi cabs have been identified by the rightful owners who presented documents to prove ownership.”

The Police added that it has “sought the assistance of DVLA to authenticate the genuineness of the documents presented before the vehicle would be released to the rightful owners” and the “suspect would be arraigned before Circuit court in Kumasi for proper trial when investigations were completed.”