Operation Vanguard police arrested allegedly for stealing GHC 10k from gold dealer

A police officer who is a member of the anti-galamsey task force, Operation Vanguard, has been arrested for allegedly stealing GHC 10,000.

The police are on a manhunt for two of his accomplices, currently on the run.

Inspector Godwin Mensah executed the heist with the aid of a police Lance Corporal on May 28, at about 8:30 am, at Memerewa Number One, near Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region.

A police report explained that both cops dressed in police uniforms, each armed with AK 47 assault rifles, stormed the residence of the victim, Thomas Lee, aged 38.

They arrested the victim under the guise of trading in gold without a license and subjected him to beatings while Mr Lee was in handcuffs.

The policemen searched the victim’s living room and forcibly took away a sum of GHC 10,000 that had been concealed in a brown envelope and black polythene in the travelling bag of the victim.

The suspects took hostage of the victim and escorted him into a waiting yellow and white Daewoo Matrix taxi cab with registration no. AC 9310- 18, and sped off to Obuasi direction.

The Obuasi Mile 9 police patrol team led by G/Sgt. Isaac Bekoe upon a distress call received from the victim’s wife moved swiftly and intercepted the said taxi cab. The driver in charge of of the taxicab and the said Lance Corporal managed to escape. However, luck eluded Inspector Mensah, who got arrested.

A rifle with 28 rounds of ammunition was retrieved from the suspect together with a cash amount of GHC 5,800 being part of the victim’s money was also recovered.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident and efforts are underway to trace the suspects who fled from the scene.