Friday, February 26, 2010

HIGHWAYMEN STRIKE IN KUMASI...Graphic van hit, one man arrested (PAGE 3, FEB 1, 2010)

ARMED robbers wielding pump action guns, in the early hours of last Saturday, attacked a number of vehicles, including a van belonging to the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) at Kubease, on the Accra-Kumasi highway.
The robbers, numbering about 10, some of whom were in black overall clothes, robbed their victims of unspecified amounts of money and a number of mobile phones.
The police, however, managed to arrest one of them, who is currently in custody and assisting in investigations.
They shot one of the front tyres of the Graphic vehicle, which was carrying the day's newspaper from Accra to Kumasi.
Mr Mohammed Saani, the driver of the vehicle, told the Daily Graphic that he and the road clerk had to run into the bush for safety as the robbers fired indiscriminately.
There were no fatalities but a number of vehicles had their windscreens smashed by the robbers.
Mr Saani said their vehicle arrived at the scene at about 3:30 a.m. to meet a traffic jam.
He said a man stood at the spot, directing vehicles heading for Kumasi on the other lane.
According to him, he initially thought an accident had occurred on the road, only to realise later that the man who was directing the traffic was among the armed robbers.
Mr Saani continued that the robbers took a closer look at the inscription on the vehicle and, perhaps, realising that it belonged to GCGL, pulled a gun and shot the tyre.
At that point, the other robbers in front were robbing their victims.
He said about 10 minutes later the police arrived at the scene in a vehicle and exchanged gunfire with the robbers, leading to the arrest of one of them while the rest escaped into the bush, leaving behind two unregistered motorbikes which were used in the operation.
When contacted, the police confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway to arrest the remaining robbers.

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