Accra, June 19, GNA - Murders and robberies declined significantly in the first quarter of this year as compared to last year, Police statistics said on Monday.

While fraud declined by almost 30 per cent, narcotics slipped by six per cent from 104 cases in the first quarter of last year to 98 in the first quarter of this year.

Mr Patrick Ampewuah, Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), told the Ghana News Agency in Accra in an exclusive interview that fraud cases declined because of publicity given to such cases.

Such information was making the public aware of the activities of fraudsters, especially advanced fee fraud, popularly known as 419, practised mainly by some West African nationals on unsuspecting people, he said.

The GNA discovered that defilement cases rose by a whopping 30 per cent in the first quarter of this year, from 423 cases to 552 cases during the period under review.

While there were 149 rape cases in the first quarter of 2005 the figure has risen to 166 in the first quarter of 2006. Mr Ampewuah assured the public of the commitment of the law enforcement agencies to continually put in place measures to bring crime to its barest minimum.

He called for cooperation from the public to assist the Police in its quest to maintain law and order while ensuring that human rights were upheld according to the basic laws of the land.