Aflao, Nov.15, GNA - Four suspected robbers were on Sunday arrested by personnel of the Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at Sogakope after they allegedly harassed drivers and passengers on the Aflao-Accra highway.

They were Kwame Osei, an Accra-based driver, Francis Dugbadzi, Michael Datsomor and Prince Mensah, all based at Aflao.

CEPS sources told the GNA at Aflao that before midnight last Saturday, the suspects using a white Opel Astra with the registration number GW 2333 V, pitched camp near Alesikpe, a village between Sogakope and the CEPS checkpoint at Dabala and made several attempts to rob passengers. The source said the police highway patrol team from Aflao, escorted some vehicles out of the area and attempted to apprehend them, but they escaped.

According to the source, CEPS personnel on their way from Dabala Junction to the Sogakope checkpoint at about 0100 hours, on Sunday met three vehicles just released at the Dabala checkpoint on their way to Accra who returned towards Aflao and informed the CEPS personnel that the robbers were ahead.

The CEPS team fired shots as they approached the spot but did not meet the robbers they later found the white car parked near a fuel station at the outskirts of Sogakope with the four occupants. The source said the CEPS team arrested them and handed them over to the police patrol team, which also arrived at the scene. Mr Samuel Sackitey, Aflao District Police Commander confirmed the arrest but said the four suspects claimed they were smugglers and not robbers.

He said no goods could however be located at a village near Adidome in the North Tongu District where they claimed they kept their smuggled goods.

Mr Sackitey said no weapons or implements were found when the vehicle was searched.