Police arrest two robbers

Page 21: Daily Graphic, June 25, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE timely response of the Police to two separate armed robbery incidents has resulted in the arrest of two suspected robbers in Accra and Akyemfo in the Western Region.
The suspects are Alex Asiedu Appiah, 28, who was arrested in Accra while Desmond Adams, 23, was arrested in Enchi in the Western Region.
Appiah, described by the police as one of suspected criminals who had been terrorising residents of Labone and its environs, was arrested after he and other suspects allegedly robbed a woman of nearly GH¢ 2,000 and a mobile phone while Desmond Adams was arrested at Akyemfo after his gang of seven attacked and robbed passengers on board two buses travelling from Kumasi to Takoradi.
Briefing the Daily Graphic on the two separate incidents in Accra yesterday, the Director of Police Public Affairs, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, said in the case of Appiah, the victim was robbed at knife-point by the suspect and his accomplices.
He said the machinery put in place by the Police Administration to deal swiftly with such cases was applied to trace and apprehend the suspects.
According to him, Appiah was arrested two weeks later while the other suspects were being sought after.
He said the victim’s cellphone and GH¢1,000 had been retrieved from the Appiah.
With regard to the Akyemfo incident, DSP Ofori said two 207 Benz buses with registration numbers, AW 2471 Y and GR 1722 V, were intercepted by the robbers at Akyemfo where they had used logs to block the road at about 1am today.
He said the robbers robbed the passengers of their monies, mobile phones and took over the vehicles driving towards Enchi.
He said following the relaying of information to the police, a team of police personnel led by Lance Corporal Richard Owusu mounted a road barrier near Enchi in anticipation of the arrival of the robbers.
DSP Ofori said on seeing the police barrier, the robbers abandoned the vehicles and took to their heels but the police were able to arrest Desmond Adams, who was carrying GH¢487 and three mobile phones.
He said the police found a short gun on one of the vehicles and had mounted a search for the six other robbers.
DSP Ofori said the Police Administration required the support and co-operation of the public in fighting crime and indicated that the relaying of information on those two crimes resulted in those arrests.
He said the police was determined to fight crime and ensure that crime in the society was reduced to the barest minimum.
He noted that due to measures instituted by the Police Administration, there had been a gradual reduction of criminal activities especially in residential areas to about one or two cases a week.
DSP Ofori explained that although the crime rate had gone down, a single robbery incident created a serious panic and traumatic experiences in the society.
He said it was in the light of that that the Police Administration had instituted serious measures to deal with robberies and called for public co-operation.
He said the Police Information Room could be contacted on 021-773695; 021-773906; 0277-522288 or 0277-522299 and 191 on all networks.