Director of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police, DCOP Lydia Yaako Donkor
The Ghana Police Service has dismantled a violent criminal network behind a string of rural bank robberies across the country, culminating in the arrest of 10 suspects, the death of three others in a shootout, and the seizure of a large cache of weapons and valuables.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno announced the breakthrough at a press briefing on Wednesday, September 24, 2024, at the National Police Headquarters in Accra.
According to the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, the operation followed six months of intelligence-led investigations.
She revealed that officers retrieved 14 firearms, including three AK-47 rifles, seven pump-action shotguns, three pistols, and a single-barrel gun, along with nearly GH¢19,000 in cash and foreign currencies, six vehicles, four motorbikes, several mobile phones, and jewellery.
The gang, believed to have about 15 members, has been linked to robberies in the Ashanti, Bono, Western, Central, and Eastern Regions. Their most recent attack occurred on September 14, when they stormed the Saint Martins De Porres Cooperative Credit Union at dawn, holding a security guard and his wife hostage before fleeing with cash.
Police say one of the AK-47 rifles recovered had been stolen from the service itself and was traced to the murder of Corporal Francis Adu Yaw on the Bibiani-Goaso highway in November 2024, linking the syndicate to that killing.
A nationwide manhunt is now underway to track down the remaining gang members.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
