General News of Wednesday, 7 July 1999

Source: GNA

Two suspects arrested over highway gold robbery

Accra, July 6, GNA - Security personnel say they have made "a major breakthrough" in the last February's highway gold robbery by arresting two suspects.

They told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Tuesday that the suspects, whose names they declined to mention "for security reasons", were rounded up near Ashaiman after a shootout in a joint operation by the military and officials from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Two security personnel were injured but they are responding to treatment at the 37 Military hospital in Accra. Armed men ambushed a bullion van near Apam Junction, about 50 kilometres west of Accra on February 16, and made away with gold valued at one million dollars.

The van was conveying the precious metal from Obotan mines in the Amansie West district in Ashanti to Kotoka International Airport in Accra when the robbery occurred.

The gold belonging to Amansie Resources Limited was being escorted by West Coast Allied Services, a private security company.

Several people were arrested earlier by police during investigations.