Story: Tim Dzamboe, Ho
THE Volta Regional Police Command has tracked down a Togolese, who has committed cross-border crimes and taken refuge in Ghana.
The suspect, Amankwei Lashivi, 35, was arrested together with Amuzu Kuwoadah, 28, at the Afedido border on the Avoeme-Lome road after they had attempted to rob two persons on a motorbike.
Addressing a press conference in Ho, the Volta Regional Police Commander, Mr Bernard Dery, said following a complaint by the victims to their assembly members, 16 policemen were deployed to Avoeme where the suspects were allegedly hiding.
He said with assistance from the victims and an assembly member, Kofi Armah, 19, and Atiso Kwame, 28, were arrested.
According to Mr Dery, when the premises of the suspects were searched, an AK 47 assault rifle with registration number 64945 in addition to 28 rounds of ammunition and a quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp were found.
According to Mr Dery, Amankwei and Amuzu gave conflicting statements about the source of the rifle.
While Amankwei, who claimed ownership of the rifle said it was given to him by a Togolese prisoner jailed for armed robbery, Amuzu mentioned Kwame Elo alias "Brother" at Klikor as the one who supplied them with the AK 47 and led the police to Klikor-Abotsivia where Elo Kwami, 36, Elo Cudjoe, 34, and Bright Doh, 15, were arrested.
Mr Dery said the police retrieved a locally manufactured revolver, a pistol, a dagger and a packet of ammunition during the search.
According to him, the police in Togo had alerted the Aflao police about the missing AK 47 that was stolen into Ghana and named Amankwei as the suspect.
He said the Togo police would be contacted in connection with the arrest for further action.
Meanwhile, the suspects have been arraigned at a Ho Circuit Court, which has remanded them in police custody.
In another development, Mr Dery stated that 29 persons were arrested in a dawn swoop at Aflao on January 17 for various offences and that 26 of the suspects had been remanded in prison custody.
He said they were arrested for allegedly possessing Indian hemp, cocaine pipes, "wee" bitters, unlicensed motorbikes, and for black-marketeering and selling of alcoholic liquor at unauthorised places.
Mr Dery, however, stated that two suspects arrested for dealing in currency were discharged after a relative had claimed ownership of the business, adding that a juvenile was also released to reappear in court on January 25, 2008.
He appealed to the general public to co-operate by reporting any suspicious movement of people to the nearest police station.
The regional commander stated that a police task force had been deployed into vantage areas of the region to curb criminal activities.
He said the crime in the region decreased from 13,000 in 2006 to 10,000 in 2007 while armed robbery cases also declined from 45 to eight during the same period.
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