Crime & Punishment of Friday, 21 June 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Two Security officers escape lynching over arrest of suspected car thieves

The suspected car thief who was being escorted by the security officers The suspected car thief who was being escorted by the security officers

But for the timely intervention of some security operatives stationed on the Akuse Junction Kpong road, two security officers would have been beaten to death by a criminal gang who had raised a false alarm of kidnapping against them.

The security officers were transporting a 34-year-old suspected car thief, Eric Opata to the Kpong Police station when a suspected accomplice of the suspect raised the alarm.

Opata is suspected to have in his possession a stolen Toyota Corolla with registration number GC 9335 11 and an unregistered Range Rover.

The two vehicles are currently at the Akuse Police station pending further investigations.

The Akuse Police Commander, Superintendent Winfred Nyarko who briefed the media on the incident said police gathered intelligence on the operations that the suspect had in his possession some vehicles suspected to have been stolen.

The police as part of investigations into the case approached the suspect with the intention of buying a vehicle.

The victim who subsequently led the investigators to the stolen vehicle in his possession, was immediately arrested to help the police in their investigations.

Superintendent Nyarko avers that a suspected accomplice in the case (name withheld) who witnessed Opata’s arrest quickly mobilized other accomplices in the case and mounted a road block at Okuenya on the Somanya – Akuse Junction highway.

The security officers upon reaching the location were accosted by the gang who accused them of kidnapping the suspect.

The officers however managed to escape but the gang pursued them in a taxi to a security checkpoint on the Akuse junction – Kpong road where they again attacked them amid accusations of kidnapping the suspect.

Security officers at the checkpoint however managed to rescue their colleagues where together, they drove to the Kpong Police station.

The police, Superintendent Nyarko, added however managed to arrest the suspect who raised the false alarm together with another member of the gang and the two are currently helping in investigations.