How CCTV helped police to catch Tema suspected thieves

The police have arrested two suspects in a Gh¢14,000 stealing incident in Tema, following evidence captured by video surveillance.

The suspects, said to be known for notoriously hanging around banks, and following customers who withdraw money to steal from them, were arrested on Friday November 2, 2018 at the meridian cluster of banks in Tema.

The suspects had previously successfully followed a customer, broke into his parked vehicle, took Gh¢14,000 and fled in a silver coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle.

Unknown to them, their operation was successfully captured by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system at the scene of the incident.

A police source told Graphic Online that the victim, Felix Teye Okunnor, a resident of Devtraco Estate at Tema Community 25, reported to the police that he had withdrawn cash of Gh¢14,000 from Ecobank in the meridian area on the said day.

He explained he kept the money under the driver’s seat and drove to Francophone near Ghana Water Company, parked and stepped out to buy a phone.

When he returned to the car, a Toyota Tundra with registration number GT 1031-13, he detected it had been broken into and the money stolen.

Fortunately, the CCTV footage captured a man breaking into the Tundra and was later whisked away by a silver coloured Toyota Corolla with registration number GX-2329-18.

On Friday November 2, 2018 at about 11am, the silver coloured Toyota Corolla was spotted at the meridian cluster of banks with two occupants on board.

Police swiftly moved to arrest the vehicle with the driver Frank Thomas and his accomplice Chequan Michael Mustapha and sent them to station for interrogation.

Police found different dresses and shoes in the boot of the vehicle and also found a number of talisman on the suspects, said to be for protection.

When the police moved with the suspects to their house at Kotobabi number two, eleven Nigerians living in the same apartment were rounded up.

According to the police source, items retrieved from them included eleven laptops, eight assorted mobile phones, four pen drives and a cash of ¢2000.

The investigations are still ongoing.

In February 2018, a Lebanese businessman was gunned down by four suspected robbers after he had completed a banking transaction and was returning to his office.

Related story: Lebanese business man shot dead by gunmen in Tema

In another incident, a 45-year-old businessman was also gunned down by two suspected robbers near the Tema Oil Refinery Traffic Light in May 2017 in Tema.

Read also: Tema: Suspected robbers gun down businessman at TOR traffic light

Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh 

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