Thieves have invaded the Sunyani Municipality, terrorizing residents, mostly women and young girls.

Wielding offensive instruments, the thieves seized mobile phones, ipads, laptops, monies and other personal belongings from their unsuspecting victims.

Sometimes they subjected victims, who failed to surrender their belongings to inhumane treatment.

Some of the affected areas are Penkwase, Doctor Berko, St Mary’s, and Airport and Mayfair residential areas.

According to residents, the thieves undertake their unscrupulous activities in broad day light and sometimes at night.

They told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the thieves broke into their houses, and stole properties when they were at work.

One of the female victims, and a student at the Catholic University, told the GNA that her attackers took her two mobile phones, a laptop and sexually assaulted her at St. Mary’s area.

She said the incident occurred around 1300hours when she was on her way for lectures.

Mr Edward Amanyi, a resident at St. Mary’s area explained that the thieves had attacked about 50 women in the area.

He said the thieves operated mostly around 1900 hours and 2200 hours, indicating that just last Saturday, they raided the community and fired gunshots.

Mr Amanyi who said he had lived in the community for about 14 years, noted the thieves switched off the streetlights in the area before they operated.

The situation, was however different at Kotokrom, a community in the Municipality, a resident said.

According to Mr Paa Nii Stevenson, a resident, because the neighbourhood had set up a watch dog committee, stealing and petty theft had gone down drastically.

Attempts to contact the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Maxwell Atingane, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Commander were unsuccessful, as he failed to answer his phone calls.