Six members and associates of an armed robbery syndicate suspected to be operating in the Ashanti Region have been arrested by the police.
The suspects have been named by the police as Philip Nyarko, alias “Kawawa”, aged 23, Hadi Samed, alias “Toronto”, aged 20; Issahaku Musah, alias “Isak”, aged 23; Suraj Mohammed, alias “Baba Nde”, alias “Trouble”, aged 2.
The rest are Hadi Abdul Majeed, alias “Panie”, aged 23 and Foster Owusu Afriyie, alias “Joe Fraizer”, aged 45.
At a press briefing in Kumsai on Monday, [August 31, 2026], the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Arthur Osei Akoto said preliminary investigations have linked the suspects to a number of reported street robbery incidents at Kaase, Ahinsan Estate, Santasi New Site, Bronikrom, Kwadaso Estate and other locations in Kumasi and the entire Ashanti Region.
He said it was the anti-armed robbery unit in Kumasi, acting on intelligence that arrested the suspects at various hideouts within the Kumasi metropolis.
He said at the residence of suspect Philip Nyarko, the police recovered a Kawasaki motorcycle, reportedly 600 horsepower, which is suspected to have been used in some of the criminal activities under investigation.
Other items also retrieved included two machetes, one iPhone 13 and five keypad mobile phones suspected to belong to victims of the robbery.
Further investigations, he said, led to the arrest of Augustine Agyemang Duah, a resident of Adum P.Z. who is suspected of assisting members of the syndicate to unlock mobile phones believed to have been stolen.
“A laptop suspected to have been used for this purpose was recovered from his residence and retained as an exhibit” he stressed.
Further arrest
He said on August 24, 2026, Issahaku Musah, Hadi Abdul Majeed, and Hadi Samed were arrested at Atonsu, Aboabo and Asawase respectively, saying “searches conducted at their respective residences led to the recovery of knives and machetes suspected to be connected to the reported robberies”.
The Police also arrested Fatawo Alhassan and Foster Owusu Afriyie at the Airport Roundabout, Kumasi who were suspected of purchasing stolen mobile phones from members of the syndicate.
He added that a search conducted at the residence of Afriyie resulted in the recovery of thirty-three (33) assorted mobile phones believed to be the property of robbery victims and said efforts were underway to identify the rightful owners and establish the circumstances under which the phones were obtained.
DCOP Akoto said Suraj Mohammed believed to be an accomplice and a leading member of the suspected syndicate, was also arrested at Asawase.
Earlier arrest
He disclosed that Philip Nyarko, Hadi Samed and Abdul Shattar were previously arrested on December 6, 2025 for conspiracy to commit crime, namely robbery, and attempted robbery.
Subsequently, they were arraigned before the Asokwa Circuit Court one, where the case was still pending, and were subsequently granted bail by the court.
Following their release, investigations indicated that some of them allegedly resumed their criminal activities. However, Abdul Shattar is currently at large, and efforts are underway to locate and arrest him.
He mentioned that they Police had intensified efforts to apprehend six other persons suspected to be connected to the syndicate and therefore urged the public who have information about them to report to the police.
He assured residents, particularly residents of the Kumasi Metropolis, that the Police remained vigilant and committed to protecting lives and property in the region.
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