A suspected notorious armed robber has been arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Ghana Police Service at Kwahu Afram Plains.
The arrest of suspect Tafa James was made a few hours after a robbery attack at ForiFori.
Starr News has gathered that, the arrest was made by a contingent of CTU personnel led by Sergeant Bawa Issifu while returning to their base at Maame Krobo after patrol duties at ForiFori after a robbery attack.
The Police patrol team on reaching a section of the road near Maame Krobo junction on Tease Ekye Amanfrom highway found an unregistered Apsonic Motorbike parked on the road without the owner.
The police personnel became suspicious and decided to mount a search for the owner.
Suspect Tafa James suddenly emerged from the bush and claimed ownership of the motorbike but told the police officers that he was defecating in the bush.
Unconvinced by his explanation, the Police officers took him to the bush to verify his claim but nothing was found to show he was defecating.
The Police Personnel asked the Suspect if he had a gun hidden in the bush but he denied it, however, police subsequently retrieved a short gun hidden in the bush after a laborious search in the presence of the suspect.
Police however did not find any cartridges with the Suspect. He is in lawful custody assisting the investigation.
Robbery attack at ForiFori
The arrest was made a few hours after Armed robbers attacked a provision shop on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at about 8:30 pm at ForiFori in the Afram Plains area.
According to the owner of the shop, Clement Kalepe, a prison officer at the ForiFori Prison camp, he was attending to a customer who came to transact mobile money business when two men wearing black dresses with face mask and wielding guns came and ordered him to hand over all his money to them.
He said, he was then counting some money to be given to the customer and he quickly handed over the said money amounting to about Ghc1,600 to the robbers.
The robbers, at gunpoint, ordered them to lie face down on the floor after which they ransacked the shop, pulled his drawer and took additional money and his Hawaii mobile phone valued Ghc 1,600.
One of the robbers hit his head with the butt of his gun resulting in injury.
He said the robbers absconded with over Ghc2000.
Whiles the two robbers were conducting the operation in the shop, two other accomplices entered the house where the shop is located and robbed one 2CO Jonas Gafah also a prison officer at Forifori Prisons camp.
The robbers, at gunpoint, took away his iPhone 7plus valued at Ghc2,100.
After the robbery, the robbers fired about three warning shots and bolted away with the booty.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, On receipt of the information the District Officer of Tease DSP Mr. David D. Azumah led a team of Police personnel including Anti Armed Robbery Task Force personnel based at Tease and CTU personnel based at Maame Krobo to the scene.
He said Police retrieved one spent AAA and one spent BBB cartridges.
DSP Tetteh said a manhunt has been launched for the arrest of the suspects.
The robbery gang is believed to be the same members who on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at about 7:30 pm gunned down a motor rider, identified as Bright during a robbery attack on a mobile money vendor at Ekye Amanfrom in the same district.
IGP’s visit
Kwahu Afram Plains area has been battling with the menace of highway robberies for about two decades now.
Many have died whiles others have sustained gunshot wounds during the robbery attacks.
Victims have also lost their monies and personal belongings.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare upon assumption of office in 2021 deployed the anti armed robbery squad to the area
On September 22, 2021, the IGP led members of the Police Management Board to visit the area to galvanize the support of chiefs and people of the area to clamp down on the criminals.
Subsequently, a crack team of the counter-terrorism unit police embedded with the Intelligence team stormed the area and arrested some of the suspected armed robbers while at least two of them were shot dead.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah
