Kofi Boakye chases gold thieves

The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, is on the heels of armed robbers in his area of command sending fear down the spine of criminals.

A three-man armed robbery gang responsible for a recent major operation that dispossessed a gold dealer of large sums of money and gold bars has been arrested.

The arrest followed the mounting of snap checks on Friday January 10, 2014, at Ataase Ntwetwena, near Wassa Akropong leading to the arrest of three suspects, Abdulai Musah, 31, Mohammed Ali also called Chingy or Bird, 25, and Emmanuel Ofori, 28.

Briefing journalists in Sekondi as to how the alleged robbers were arrested, DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye said on January 10, 2014 at about 8:00pm, the three suspects armed with locally manufactured firearms went to the shop of the gold dealer, one Godsway Dey at Ntwetwena, attacked him and subjected him to severe beatings and later tied his hands and legs.

He added that the suspects took away Godsway’s gold valued at GH¢2,800.00, cash of GH¢8,000.00 and Nokia X2 mobile phone worth GH¢200.00.

According to the Regional Police Commander, the suspects managed to escape with the booty in a Toyota Corolla with registration number AS 4767 Z.

“A witness in the case then alerted the police on snap check duties at Ataase Ntwetwena, near Wassa Akropong,” he revealed.

DCOP Kofi Boakye indicated that the police mounted surveillance and intercepted the Toyota Corolla driven by Abdulai Musah and arrested him.

The others, however, alighted and ran into a nearby bush.

The Regional Commander noted that Abdulai Musah mentioned Emmanuel Ofori and Mohammed Ali as his accomplices.

He said on January 21, 2014, the Regional Criminal Investigations Department (CID), acting upon information, arrested Mohammed and Ofori at their respective hideouts at Besease and Adedientem, near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.

“The suspects admitted the offence in their caution statements after their arrest and they are being processed for court,” DCOP Kofi Boakye pointed out.

Kofi Boakye’s Assurance

DCOP Boakye indicated that even though the police could not eradicate armed robbery totally in the region, they would go all length to investigate and arrest the perpetrators.

He noted that the Tarkwa Division of the command where the alleged gold robbery took place had recorded violent crimes in recent times.

He partly attributed the development to the sale of gold at illegal places and the activities of illegal miners called ‘galamsey’ operators.

He appealed to gold dealers to endeavour to deal with those legally mandated to do gold business.

Robbery At Petrol Filling Stations

Currently, the new trend is that people try to rob filling stations at the outskirts of towns in the region, DCOP Kofi Boakye said.

He said his outfit had taken proactive measures, stressing that all filling stations, particularly those at the outskirts, would be provided with security and charged according to police rates.

“We are also going to increase our patrols at the outskirt of towns so as to combat any foreseeable crime,” he added.

Incessant Demonstrations

The Regional Police Commander bemoaned the blockade of roads by some protestors who violated the Public Order Law in the region lately.

He said the constitution offered people the right to demonstrate but stressed that the Public Order Law regulates their activities.

He noted that henceforth anybody who contravened the law would be arrested and arraigned before court, adding that “democracy doesn’t mean chaotic situations.”