Police impound 1,049 motorbikes in Accra

The police have impounded 1,049 motorbikes in a week at various points of Accra as part of an operation to clamp down on the activities of suspected criminals.

At least, 137 of the riders have been put before court, with 25 of them already convicted.

Fines totalling GH¢29,380 imposed by the courts have been cleared by the collective group convicted for various offences.

The exercise, which was undertaken in all the 14 divisional commands of the Accra Regional Police Command, targeted unregistered motorbikes and the illegal use of motorbikes for commercial purposes, popularly known as okada.

Riders soliciting for passengers, riding without helmets, licences or insurance were arrested.

The areas covered included Tesano, Madina, Kwabenya,Nungua, Anyah, Kaneshie, Pokuase, La, Baatsona, Achimota Mile 7 and Airport,

Objective

The week-long operation was directed by the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner Of Police (DCOP) Aful Boakye Yiadom.

DCOP Boakye Yiadom told the Daily Graphic that 95 of the cases were still under investigations, while 18 persons, who failed to report to the police, were being hunted for.

He said the police had also secured bench warrants for 17 persons who failed to appear before the court, while warning letters had been issued to 31 persons.

The Kaneshie Divisional Police Command impounded the highest number of motorbikes of 65, while the Anyah District Police Command, under the Odorkor Divisional Command, arrested the least of 16 motorbikes.

Those arrested were screened and profiled before the riders, who were found culpable, were processed for court.

Operation

The Regional Police Commander said the operation also aimed at arresting criminals who used bikes to snatch bags from unsuspecting residents and visited mayhem on them at the least resistance.

Mr Boakye Yiadom expressed the hope that the exercise would serve as a warning to people to stop defying regulations on motorcycles.

"We appeal to motorcyclists to stop violating the law on the use of motorbikes," he said, and warned that the exercise had not ended. "

A commercial motorbike operator, who gave his name as Mustaf Alhassan, said "l know our operations are banned, but we have to survive. I witnessed the police operation at La and l quickly made a U-turn to avoid being arrested. I went home to sleep, and l have since not been able to operate as an okada rider".

He, however, questioned the use of excessive force by the police and the indiscriminate seizure of their motorcycles, saying "not all riders indulge in crime".