A total of 37 suspected criminals including a pick-pocketing gang leader and two women, have been arrested and kept in custody by the Kumasi Central Police.

The gang leader, whose name was given by the police as Akwasi Amankwaa, alias School Boy, is a middle-aged man whom most of the arrested pick-pockets mentioned as their “boss”.

He claims to have retired from the job and has under his tutelage six boys whom he mentors and collects booties from their daily operations.

He was arrested around the “PZ” and Kejetia areas, right inside the city hub, six others out of the 37, who had been on police wanted list for a long time, have already confessed to their involvement in crimes ranging from pick-pocketing to thefts.

Their names were given as Bernard Konda, Sasabonsam, Yaw Boateng, Emmanuel Boateng and Nicholas Obour.

Chief Superintendent Laar Baman, the police District Commander for that area told the media in Kumasi during a briefing that, Bernard Konda also operates with one of the arrested women named Christie, who owns a drinking bar at Kejetia, where they take alcoholic drinks laced with “Marijuana” also known as “lacka”, before they move into action.

Sasabonsam, with the help of his girlfriend, (the other arrested woman) whose name was not given, are also said to be harassing and robbing travelers of their cash and other valuables.

Sarfo was caught red-handed in the process of pick-pocketing a nurse, who had just alighted from a taxi around “PZ”, the District Commander said.

He said Obour, who was described by the police as a “slippery pick-pocket”, has over the past three years been operating under the guise of a student when walking the streets of Kejetia purportedly to outwit his victims.

Boateng is also mentioned by the police as a “smart pick-pocket” and doubles up as an informant for his colleagues by giving up-to-date hints about the movement of the police to his gang to aid in their escapes.

Chief Supt. Baman told the media that Konda, after being arrested, tried to escape from police cells but did not succeed.

He said the suspects are being screened and those found culpable will be arraigned.