Highway robbers have attacked Police Patrol vehicles on the AKyem Ettukrom to Bunso road in Abuakwa North Municipality in the Eastern Region.
The robbers armed with AK47 were on the road Tuesday dawn to rob commuters but the Police vehicle onboard with police Personnel bumped into their robbery Operation.
The robbers upon seeing the vehicle opened fire into the vehicle through the windshield.
The Police officers who were taken by surprise took cover and returned fire as the driver confidently drives to safety for a gun battle with the robbers.
The gunfire exchange lasted for few minutes but the robbers fled into the bush.
The police patrol team moved to the scene, combed the bush but nobody was found.
The Police further mounted a search in nearby houses and some health facilities could not arrest any of the suspects
Police upon search retrieved five spent shells of AK 47 rifle and one other found at the scene.
The Acting Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akufo Dampare has meanwhile assured that measures will be taken to address the security challenges in the region.
Rampant Highway attacks
Abuakwa North Municipality has recently been faced with rampant highway robbery attacks some of which have been fatal.
The Akyem Tafo District Police Command recently deployed Police Personnel to mount a barrier on Kukurantumi -Koforidua road at night as part of measures to clamp down on increasing robbery attacks in the area.
The dreaded armed robbery gang terrorizing residents in Akyem Abuakwa North for instance in June this year mounted a roadblock and succeeded in robbing many vehicles creating gridlock on the road.
One of the robbers shot and killed a female trader identified only as Victoria who was onboard one of the vehicles en route to Akyem Begoro to buy tomatoes.
The robbers escaped into the bush before the arrival of the Police patrol team.
The Police patrol team later mobilized the youth in the Communities to help chase the robbers in the bush.
After several minutes of pursuing the robbers in the bush at site two near Bunso, the two suspects – Haruna Amadu, 25, and Joseph Nyira, 25 were arrested.
Two unregistered single-barrel shotguns, one machete, cash the sum of GhC257.00, one itel screen touch mobile phone, three-neck bags containing two voter ID cards belonging to two of the victims, assorted mobile sim cards belonging to victims, and a black student bag containing shirts of the suspects were retrieved.
Some of the victims identified the suspects as those who carried out the robbery operation.
Two weeks ago, a robbery gang stormed Kyebi at dawn amidst firing of gunshots to rob a gold dealer in the community.
The robbers succeeded in robbing the gold dealer and absconded with an unknown amount of money and quantities of gold.
According to witnesses, the robbers bolted with their vehicle but were given hot chase by Police; however, the Police could not arrest them.
A similar incident occurred at Akyem Asikam, a month ago where it is believed that the same group of armed robbers attacked another gold dealer.
On Monday, May 24, 2021, the notorious robbery gang mounted a roadblock on Koforidua to Kukurantumi highway to rob about 20 vehicles at about 4:30am.
One person was shot in the process and rushed to the hospital.
Two passengers claimed the robbers took away Ghc40,000 and Ghc4000 away from them
The notorious armed robbers on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at about 8:00pm attacked Green Dor Guest House and a gas filling station nearby.
Amidst sporadic gunshots, the armed robbers broke into the gas filling station offices and restaurant of the guest house, caused damage to the doors, and took away Ghc137 from the gas filling station office.
The robbers had earlier shot dead a 32-year-old man in a fuel station robbery attack at Akyem Osiem a nearby community.
One person also sustained gunshot wounds.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
