From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.
The vigilance of some police officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Kumasi, has led to the arrest of a suspected armed robber who was allegedly luring a taxi driver to the outskirts of Kumasi to snatch his vehicle.
The suspect who was identified as Emmanuel Boakye is currently in police custody, helping in investigations, while his accomplice is on the run.
Unknown to the taxi driver who picked the suspected armed robber, together with his run-away accomplice, at Abrepo Junction around 1:00 a.m. enroute to Sepaase, the two had a loaded locally manufactured pistol hidden in a bag.
Also in the bag were quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp. One of them sat in the front passenger seat of the Opel Astra taxi-cab while the other relaxed in the back seat and engaged the driver in conversation.
The MTTU officers who were on duty around the Kumasi Campus of the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW), stopped the taxi for inspection.
The suspect who was in the front passenger seat and was holding the bag containing the loaded gun, quickly passed it to his accomplice who was in the back seat.
One of the police officers who detected the quick transfer of the bag, demanded to know what was in it, but out of the blue, the suspected robber in the front seat bolted from the vehicle.
However, with the help of the taxi driver who was identified as Kwadwo Obeng, the police managed to arrest the other, and retrieved the bag which contained the fully loaded locally manufactured pistol and the dried leaves from him.
Briefing The Mirror on the incident, the Acting Ashanti Regional MTTU Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abraham Bansah commended the taxi driver for his assistance and urged others to emulate his shining example.
He said that was the second time in less than two weeks that the MTTU had foiled an armed robbery operation in the area.
Mr Bansah said during a similar operation a few days earlier, the MTTU officers succeeded in arresting two robbers who had snatched a taxi-cab, stolen a bull and were transporting the animal to the Kumasi Abattoir for sale.
He said the bull was retrieved and handed over to its owner while the suspects were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigations.
He said the CID was also investigating the current case and assured the public of their continuous vigilance in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs to reduce armed robbery.
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