Koforidua, March 14, GNA - A gang of armed robbers "celebrated" their one-year anniversary of an attack on citizens of Koforidua with a raid on five families within the vicinity of the St. James Hotel on Saturday. March 11, 2006 was exactly a year when a gang of armed robbers attacked some homes in the municipality. Three of the robbers and their accomplices from Accra were jailed.

Briefing the GNA on Monday, the Deputy Eastern Regional Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Eklu, said the robbers, numbering six, were armed with guns and cutlasses. The gang struck at about 2200 hours, wounded two their victims and made away with two mobile phones and nine million cedis. Mr Eklu said no arrest had been made and that some of the victims said they could identify their attackers. He said on Sunday the Koforidua police made a swoop on a den of hemp smokers and traffickers at the central market area and arrested 27 suspects.

Mr Eklu said the police seized some dried leaves and whitish substances from the suspects that they suspect to be Indian hemp and cocaine respectively.