SUSPECTED CAR THIEF ARRESTED (PAGE 40)

THE Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man believed to be a member of luxury cars stealing syndicate in the Kumasi metropolis.
The police has so far retrieved nine luxury cars, including a ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz saloon, a Rover saloon and a 4 X4 Jeep from the suspect, Kwabena Takyi, alias Boama, alias Master Pee, after he was arrested.
According to the police, the suspect, a native of Nkwatia Kwahu in the Eastern Region, confessed of his involvement in the snatching of luxury cars and had mentioned some of his accomplices.
The ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz car, with registration number AS 1725 Z, had bloodstains at the passenger seat after the police had retrieved it, indicating that the owner might have sustained some injuries before his attackers succeeded in snatching the vehicle from him.
The suspect and his accomplices also changed the original colours of the Benz car from blue-black to light brown and were also in the process of changing the colour of the Jeep from black to a different colour when he was arrested.
Other vehicles that were retrieved by the police included three KIA saloon cars with registration numbers GW 9595 W, GT4600 Q and AS 2304 Z, as well as an Opel Astra saloon car with registration number GR 270 U.
Also retrieved by the police from the suspect, who claims to reside at Bohyen, a Kumasi suburb, was a 4X4 Honda with registration number GR 4706 Z.
According to the police, the suspect always replaced the original number plates of the stolen vehicles with those of motorbikes before changing their colours to prevent detection.
Briefing the media about the arrest, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, said reports of car snatching, especially luxury ones, in the Kumasi metropolis had been on the ascendancy in recent times.
He said when the criminal activities of the suspect and his accomplices came to the notice of the police, they mounted a search for their arrest, and with the support of the public, they were able to apprehend Takyi at his hideout to assist in investigations.
Mr Opare Addo gave the assurance that the police would continue to hunt for the other members of the syndicate for them to face the full rigours of the law.
In another development, the police command has arrested 14 suspected robbers most of whom are teenagers.
They included five females, who have specialised in robbing passengers of their mobile phones, monies and other valuables at gunpoint and knifepoint.
The suspects, who operated between Santasi, Ahodwo, Adeammra, Suame Magazine and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Campus, were arrested after one of their victims gave the registration number of the taxi used for their operation to the police.
About seven of the suspected robbers reside at Ohwim, near Barekese in the Atwima Nwabiagya District.
They were identified as Kwabena Osei, John Asante, Afua Cheche, Yaw Owusu alias Joe, Gladys Tweneboah alias Adwoa T, Patrick Yeboah and Kwame Anokye.
The others were Kwabena Nkatia alias Mishell, Eric Dwamena alias Gaby, Yaw Adjei alias Wotoasa, Yaw Nkansa alias Paa Yaw, Naomi Asante, Patrick Nimo and Akosua Foriwaa who claimed to be a radio presenter.