A total of 215 suspected criminals have been arrested in a police operation.
The operation targeted persons behind the recent attack of a bullion van at James Town and other street crimes in the Accra Metropolis.
Those arrested were between the ages of 17 and 52. There were 17 women among them.
The operation, which was also targeted at motorbikes used in facilitating robberies, saw the impounding of 168 motorbikes believed to be used for criminal activities.
Also, the police intercepted items including wrapped dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, knives, scissors, machetes, concoctions laced with narcotics, tramadol, among others, during the operation.
Areas
The public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mrs Effia Tenge, said three days were dedicated to the exercise in various divisional police commands following the directive by the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Afful Boakye.
The exercise was carried out in areas including Korle Bu, Tesano, Amasaman, Nima, Dansoman and Abokobi.
The rest are Accra Central, Teshie, Madina, Bastona, Jamestown, Osu and Lakeside.
The arrests, she explained, stemmed from disturbing recorded cases of violent crimes in the metropolis.
Top on the list of the crimes, she said, were the recent robbery of a bullion van which led to the killing of a policeman and a woman last Monday at Jamestown; a robbery incident at Pig Farm where a 43-year-old man was killed and the attack on a forex bureau at Osu where two persons were shot.
Suspects detained
Following the arrest, Mrs Tenge said, the suspects had been detained at the various police stations where they would be taken through various levels of screening and profiling for possible connection to recorded crimes under investigation.
She said the special operation was part of a series of exercises by the command which started at the beginning of this year, aimed at combating all forms of crime in the metropolis.
DSP Tenge added that the three-day operation was in line with efforts to fight violent crimes, drug peddling and street robberies which had been on the rise in recent times.
source: Graphic online
