The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 54 suspected criminals in the Kumasi metropolis on Tuesday dawn in a special police swoop.

The arrest of the suspects forms part of strategy by the police to clampdown on nefarious activities of robbers within the metropolis.

Police say majority of the suspects were arrested at their various criminal hideouts including drugs selling joints in the city.

Two police most wanted armed robbers Emmanuel Nyamekye Alias 50 Cent and Kwadwo Asare also known as Lumba among robbery gangs of 4, were also shot dead in the process by the police, after a failed attempt to shoot a police team hunting for their arrest in gun fire exchanges.