A SYNDICATE which allegedly snatches cars from their owners, dismantles them and sells the parts to unsuspecting members of the public has been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command.
Members of the gang, which is said to operate in Mankessim and Swedru in the Central Region and Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, were apprehended following the arrest of a welder identified as John Baptist Donkor who was found at his shop dismantling two taxicabs in a suspicious manner.
Welder caught
Briefing journalists, the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, said the robbers snatched vehicles and disassembled them within a short time and sold the parts.
He said the Regional Police patrol team, on September 7, 2015, had information that a welder named Donkor who lived at Adeiman, near Amasaman, was dismantling two taxis which appeared to have been stolen.
He said the police team proceeded to the location and arrested him in the act.
During interrogation, Mr Yohuno said, Donkor told the police that he had been contracted by a man named Nana Kwadwo Boakye to disassemble the vehicles.
He said Nana Boakye was later arrested at Apedwa in the Eastern Region where he mentioned his other accomplices as Dickson Kumi, 29, a driver; Eric Ocansey alias Kwadwo Apoh, 22, a plodder operator and Anthony Quaye, alias Medaase, 36, a driver.
The rest are Yaw Musah Osmanu alias Kotoko, 22, driver; Edward Asare, alias Dibi, 20, unemployed, and Ibrahim Adams alias White Power, 19, a herbalist.
My Yohuno said investigations were still ongoing to find out the number of cars snatched and dismantled by the gang.
He said the suspects would be put before court, and advised the public to be wary of car snatchers.
He further called on vehicle owners to procure car tracking devices to facilitate the swift apprehension of such criminals.
At the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, where the suspects were paraded, they blamed each other for their arrest.
One of them denied being a member of the gang and said he was rather a taxi driver who was hired by the suspected robbers.
Writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh
