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The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service is on the heels of 22 people the police describe as notorious robbers.

The fugitives are suspected to have been involved in attacks on bullion vans in parts of the country and other robberies across Ghana.

The police have also retrieved a cache of weapons and ammunition concealed by some suspected robbers at Ntoaso, near Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

The ammunition retrieved include 2,882 rounds of AK47 ammunition, 840 rounds of M16 ammunition, five 7.62 cartridges and 23 BB cartridges.

Other items are seven machetes, an AK 47 assault rifle, an M16 rifle, a pump action gun, a shotgun, a pistol, five knives, a sword, a crowbar, a military camouflage uniform and a traditional warrior's smock.

Bounty

Subsequently, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, has announced a GH¢50,000 reward for any person who gives credible information that will lead to the arrest of armed robbers who have perpetrated their dastardly acts across the country, including those who attacked the bullion van at Adedenkpo in Accra.

Additionally, the Ghana Police Service will give GH¢5,000 to anybody with information that will lead to the retrieval of any AK47 assault rifle.

Intelligence

The Director General of the CID, Mr Isaac Ken Yeboah, made this known when he updated journalists on some cases being handled by the CID.

He said the weapons were retrieved during an operation based on police intelligence gathered as part of security measures adopted by the Police Administration under the new Anti-Armed Robbery Task Force (AARTF) strategy aimed at curbing robberies and other violent crimes in the country.

Mr Yeboah said two of the suspected robbers whose identities were not yet known were gunned down during the operation when they opened fire on the police, while two other members of the gang fled on seeing the police.

The police, he said, arrested one of the gang members, who was currently assisting the police in investigations.

Based on the intelligence, a team from the National Operations Directorate (NOD) Surveillance Unit and three other combat patrol teams were dispatched to the location to retrieve the said weapons, he said.

On reaching the location, he said, the team began a search of the premises when one of the suspected robbers, who was hiding in a nearby room, opened fire on the police, hitting the hand of one of the personnel, injuring his two fingers in the process.

The police returned fire and gunned down the suspected robber, while one other was arrested.

After retrieving the weapons, and while the team was returning to the National Police Headquarters, one of the suspected robbers attempted to snatch the weapon of one of the police officers.

A struggle ensued, during which the gun went off, killing the suspected robber instantly.

The injured officer, Mr Yeboah said, was taken to the Police Hospital for treatment, where he is scheduled to undergo surgery to restore his two fingers.

The bodies of the suspected robbers had since been deposited at the Police Hospital for preservation and further action.

He said investigations were underway to arrest the other suspected robbers.

Mr Yeboah urged the public to volunteer information to assist the police arrest the suspects, saying there was a reward for anyone who offered credible information.

Robbery gang

Providing details about Ampah, Mr Yeboah said Ampah, who responded to aliases including Busia, Nana, Dada and Doctor, armed his gangs with weapons, sponsor their robbery operations, after which he shares the booty with them.

Ampah, a native of Nsorkor, who was arrested at Sapeiman, near Amassaman in the Greater Accra Region on June 24, 2021, is said to have been on the police wanted list since 2019.

Mr Yeboah said Ampah was noted for embarking on robberies around mining sites in Kibi in the Eastern Region.

In one of such robberies, which took place on May 26, 2021, he said, Ampah was said to have robbed a victim of bags of gold, an unspecified amount of money and a vehicle, which he abandoned later at Akooko on the Bunsu-Apedwa road.

He said Ampah posed as a national security operative and had a sticker on his vehicle which portrayed him as such, which he used to deceive the police and the public.

On June 15, 2021, he said, Ampah and one of his gangs allegedly snatched a Nissan Navarra vehicle from its owner, under the pretext of buying it, and also attacked a bullion van on the Spintex Road in Accra.

In the same month, he allegedly attacked Bashiru Abdulai and robbed him of GH¢550,000 near the Accra City Hotel, formerly Novotel Hotel, Mr Yeboah said.