Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 26 June 2007

Source: GNA

Shoot out with police, two robbers killed

Sunyani, June 26, GNA- Two suspected armed robbers were on Tuesday killed when they engaged the police in a shoot-out at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kwaku Ayensu Opare-Addo, Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander told newsmen on that at about 1730 hours on Monday, the police in Techiman received information that a Toyota land cruiser vehicle with registration number GE 7575X was parked on the Techiman-Nkoranza road in a suspicious manner.

He said a team of policemen rushed to the area and saw four persons, including a woman in the vehicle, but they suddenly sped off, as the police vehicle got closer to theirs.

The regional commander said the vehicle in the process hit an on-coming Tico taxicab but the driver refused to stop and headed towards Techiman.

DCoP Opare-Addo said the police later found the Land Cruiser packed at the Total filling station in Techiman but when they got closer the occupants opened fire on them and they replied.

He said the suspected robbers moved their vehicle but were chased by the police until they abandoned the vehicle at Tanoso, near Techiman as the driver and the woman fled into the bush.

Two of the occupants who had apparently been hit by police bullets were found dead inside the vehicle.

DCoP Opare-Addo said the police found five mobile phones, two screw drivers, one locally manufactured pistol, four cartridges, three bunches of keys, three wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and an unspecified amount of money on the bodies of the dead robbers.

He said the police have intensified a search for the man and woman on the run, whilst the unidentified bodies had been deposited at the regional hospital in Sunyani.

The regional commander appealed to the various health facilities to report to the police any person with gunshot wounds seeking treatment. DCoP Opare-Addo stated that the vehicle used by the alleged robbers was snatched from its owner in Kumasi at gunpoint and the owner had even called the regional command claiming ownership. He said the robbers were alleged to have robbed some passengers on Sunday on the Sampa road of huge sums of money and mobile phones.