The Ashanti North Regional Police Command has apprehended twelve individuals believed to be members of a syndicate responsible for a series of armed robberies along major highways in the Ashanti North, Bono, and Ahafo Regions, as well as parts of the Northern Region.
The arrests, executed on March 12 and 14, 2026, are the culmination of a two-month intelligence-led surveillance operation conducted in collaboration with the National Operations Division (NOD)/Surveillance Unit from Police Headquarters, Accra.
Addressing the media at the Command’s headquarters in Asante Mampong on Thursday, the Regional Commander, ACP Felix Apedo, detailed the criminal activities of the gang, which spanned several districts and involved the use of firearms and machetes against motorists.
According to ACP Apedo on January 29, 2026, at approximately 0800 hours, the syndicate attacked motorists along the Nkenkaasu-Darso stretch of the Kumasi-Techiman Highway, robbing victims of unspecified sums of cash and mobile phones.
In a more violent incident on February 2, 2026, at about 2130 hours on the same Nkenkaasu-Darso road, the suspects attacked a VIP Bus carrying 49 passengers.
During the assault, two female passengers sustained gunshot wounds to their thighs. The robbers made off with undisclosed amounts of cash and multiple mobile phones.
Again, on February 23, 2026, at approximately 0420 hours, the group struck along the Nsuta-Hwidiem Old Junction Road, robbing motorists of a total of approximately GHC 57,000 and several mobile phones.
Investigative findings indicate that suspect Zakaria Fuseini, while declining to participate directly in the attack due to religious observance, later accepted GHC 500 as his share of the proceeds.
The Regional Commander further noted that during interrogation, the suspects admitted to involvement in other robberies, including incidents on the Mampong-Ejura stretch, at Offinso Kokoti, during the 2025 Sallah festivities in Wenchi, on the Booko-Sunyani road, and in Buipe in the Northern Region, where they reportedly stole a cow.
They also confessed to an operation in Obuasi approximately two months ago, during which one of their accomplices was fatally shot in an exchange with police.
Following the criminal pattern, ACP Apedo identified the individuals in custody.
He confirmed that the specialised operation covered multiple towns, including Offinso, Nkenkaasu, Akomadan, Techiman, Chiraa, and Sunyani, leading to the arrest of Seidu Fuseini (alias Baali), an ex-convict released in 2022.
Dramani Rasak (22) is currently standing trial for a murder case in Kumasi involving the killing of a police civilian employee in Mankranso.
Moro Yakubu (alias Dogo/Taller/Hajia Bintu) is also an ex-convict, Ibhrahim Issiaka (alias Jaaji, 28), identified as an escapee from the Jaima Police Station.
The others are Zakaria Fuseini (28), Amadu Umaru (30), Iddrisu Abubakar (30), Issah Alhassan (40) and four other accomplices.
The police recovered an arsenal from the suspects, including three locally manufactured shotguns, one locally made pistol, nine live BB cartridges, four cutlasses, one sword, two knives, and a fertiliser bag used to conceal the weapons.
Additionally, investigators retrieved 41 mobile phones and seven phone covers.
ACP Apedo confirmed that some of these devices have since been identified by robbery victims. Three black hooded dresses were also found, one of which bore visible blood stains.
According to the Regional Commander, intelligence gathered revealed that the syndicate had planned another robbery operation along the Akomadan-Darso road for March 14, 2026.
The plan was foiled following their apprehension earlier that day.
ACP Apedo confirmed that efforts are underway to apprehend two additional accomplices who are currently at large. He reiterated the Command’s call for public cooperation, urging citizens to volunteer credible information to assist in the ongoing effort to rid the region of armed criminal elements.
