Tema Regional Police arrest 15 suspected criminals

Tema, March 15, GNA - The Tema Regional Police on Monday arrested 15 suspected criminals, including an 18-year old girl from their hideouts at Abonkor, a suburb of Tema Manhean, during a joint Police-Military operation.

Some of them were found with wrappers of marijuana and other apparatus.

The arrests followed the search for five armed robbers who stormed the Volta River Authority (VRA) premises in Tema two weeks ago but escaped during a shoot out with the only policeman on duty at the time. Those arrested in the joint operation include Mensah Mohammed 25, barber, Ibrahim Awudu 48, labourer, and Maame Afua Asson, 18. The three were arrested with 48 wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be marijuana, a sponge, a comb, mobile phone and a radio.

The others were Joseph Mbir, 43, labourer, Bernard Mikekpor, 24, Labourer, Joseph Arthur, 22, carpenter, Kwesi Fianu, 26, Quaye Tetteh, 30, driver's mate, Kwadwo Fianu, 19, Kwablah Fianu, 20, Patrick Fianu, 25, and Christian Korley, 40.

The rest were Kofi Laryea, Ahumah Stephen, 28, and Larbi Aryeh. They were also found with 41 wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be marijuana, matches and a pair of scissors. On March 5, this year, seven armed robbers attacked the VRA Materials Yard at the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, where they engaged the duty police guard in a shootout.

During the shootout, Amoasi, alias 'container', believed to be the ringleader, was killed instantly while another member of the gang, Richard Neequaye, who was seriously injured died later in hospital. Neequaye was said to have revealed names of accomplices before dying.

The Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Daniel Odai Laryeah, said the joint exercise to root out criminals would continue and appealed to the public to co-operate with his outfit by feeding them with the relevant information.

Meanwhile, the Tema regional crime office is looking for suspected robbers who snatched a polythene bag containing 10 million cedis from a 39-year old block manufacturer, Michael Paddy, in Tema Community One. Paddy reportedly alighted from a taxi when two men on a motorbike bearing "on test" on its number plate, snatched the moneybag from him and hurriedly sped off.