Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 26 April 2008
Source: GNA
Kumasi, April 26, GNA- The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested a member of an armed robbery syndicate, which has been terrorizing residents of Bantama in Kumasi.
Kwame Asukum, 28 and a lotto seller at Race Course, who was said to have been involved in a number of robberies in the area within the past three months.
Asukum is alleged to be a member of the robbery syndicate and was arrested during one of their operations. The police have therefore appealed to the public to come forward and identify him.
Inspector Ibrahim Tanko, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Command made this known to the media on Friday in Kumasi. The PRO said between the hours of 2200 and 2300 on April 24, Daniel Ampomah, a 37-year-old driver was driving a KIA Pride taxi with the registration number GT 4691 G near the Bantama market, when he was stopped by Asukum, who asked that he should be taken to Bohyen also in Kumasi.
Inspector Tanko said immediately Asukum got into the taxi he pulled a knife at the driver and called in his four accomplices, who are on the run, to join him.
A struggle ensued between the driver and the gang of five and luckily enough, a police patrol team came to his rescue, but the four escaped leaving Asukum behind, he added.
Mr Tanko said Asukum was then escorted to the Kumasi Central Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the Police and during interrogation, he confessed that within his short stay with the group, they have robbed three taxi cabs, which were all used in robbing others of their valuables and afterwards abandoned.
According to the Inspector, Asukum told them that he had so far gotten four mobile phones from the victims they robbed, which he has sold.