Some of the suspects at the Ashaiman Divisional Police Headquaters
A DAWN operation jointly carried out by military/police personnel at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region following the strange killing of three men last Sunday dawn, which led to the arrest of 20 suspected criminals including a female.
All the suspects have been sent to the Ashaiman Divisional Police Headquarters.
The 80-strong military/police team swooped at dawn in areas such as the Ashaiman Cluster of Schools and Old Tulaku, which have gained notoriety for violent crimes and ritual murders in recent times.
Last Sunday dawn, three bodies were found in separate locations in the same area within the municipality. Police preliminary investigations revealed that the tongues of two of the deceased had been removed, while one had his eye plucked, heightening suspicion that it was ritual killings.
According to the Crime Officer of the Ashaiman District Police Headquarters DSP/Mr. George Antwi Tanoh, the suspects were arrested for possessing and using narcotic drugs without authority.
He explained that a combined team of police/military comprising 80 officers from the Ashaiman Divisional Command, Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and soldiers from the First Battalion of Infantry Michel Camp, Eastern Naval Command, Tema, undertook the operation.
DSP Antwi Tanoh further stated that the exercise started at about 4:00 am on September 16, 2019 and ended at mid-morning.
Exhibits he mentioned included five compressed slabs, seven black polythene bags, 414 wrappers – all containing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp – 457 locally made toffee suspected to have been laced with cannabis, a toy pistol and seven pairs of scissors.
The Crime Officer pointed out that the remaining exhibits were 13 knives and five machetes which were found on some of them. He said the suspects were being screened, profiled and those found culpable would be prosecuted.
Madina Swoop
A similar operation at Madina led to the arrest of 360 suspected criminals. The operation, which took place on Monday, was based on police intelligence, the Accra Regional Police Operations Commander, Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, confirmed to Adomonline.com.
“About 360 people have been arrested and taken to the headquarters for investigations and those found guilty will be put before court,” Mr. Ofori assured the public.
Monday’s operation follows similar swoops at Gomoa Buduburam in the Central Region and other parts of the country.
From Vincent Kubi, Ashaiman