Police in Ho bust two armed robbery gangs within seven days

Ho, Dec 27, GNA - The police in Ho has within the last seven days busted two robbery gangs in two separate operations. In the first operation on December 22, a Police Escort on a Bullion Van carrying money from the North-Tongu Rural Bank at Adidome to its Agency in Ho engaged three highway robbers in a shootout, killing one and wounding two others, one of whom escaped. Mr Samuel Tetteh, Ho Municipal Police Commander told journalists that the Bullion Van came across a road block near the Volta River Authority (VRA) Sub-Station near Ho at around 1730 hours and stopped. He said there after, one person emerged from the bush wielding an AK 47 riffle, ordered occupants of the van out and aimed at the driver but missed him.

Mr Tetteh said the police escort fired back at the suspected robber and two accomplices standing by with machetes and clubs. He said two of those who were wounded suspected to be Nigeriens were taken to the Volta Regional Hospital, where one died. In the second operation, Elorm Kofi Koto, a driver and Patrick Ahovi, a mechanic both 26, based in Accra were on Friday identified at a parade by victims of a December 20 robbing spree at Ho. The third person is on the run.

Mr Tetteh said at around 1700 hours on December 20, the suspects entered the warehouse of Dzialet, a Foods and Detergents Distributor on the outskirts of Ho, ordered workers lurking around into the building at gun point.

He said the suspects then forced the workers to lie face down, emptied the cashier's safe and took away an amount of 10,018 Ghana Cedis and got away on an un-registered motorbike. Mr Tetteh said within 30 minutes, the suspects attacked the Coca-Cola Distributing Company at Dome, a suburb of Ho and robbed it of GH¢ 4,600, locked up the workers and escaped on a bike. Mr Tetteh said the two were picked up at Denu, while travelling on a Golf Private Car through Keta to Accra.