The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested five individuals suspected to be part of a well-coordinated criminal syndicate that specialises in stealing large sums of money from parked vehicles, particularly targeting individuals who have just withdrawn cash from banks.
At a press briefing on Monday, June 23, Ashanti Regional Police Commander DCOP Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe revealed the syndicate’s sophisticated modus operandi.
The group, operating with two vehicles, strategically positions one car near banks while a member observes and identifies potential victims, typically customers making significant cash withdrawals.
Once a target is identified, the spotter communicates with accomplices waiting in a second vehicle.
The police added that the suspects then discreetly follow the victim until they leave their vehicle unattended.
Using a specialised tool, the thieves force open the car, steal the money, and escape in the second vehicle to avoid detection.
Following a detailed investigation, five suspects, all Nigerian nationals, were arrested and have reportedly confessed to being part of a wider criminal network.
They are: Russell Ekenze, 29, taxi driver, Francis Friday, 49, politician and Linus Agwazie, 51, a trader.
The other two, Gifty Ozurumbam and Gladys Ibrahim, are accused of aiding one of the prime suspects, Cosmas Maduabuchukwu, who sustained gunshot wounds during an attempted arrest.
He allegedly sought refuge at a bar they own in Kenyanase.
Police say the women failed to report his whereabouts, thereby obstructing investigations.
Two vehicles believed to have been used in the operations, a gold Toyota Highlander (GT 2471-14) and a black Toyota Highlander (GX 7124-12), have also been impounded.
Both were with suspected fake registration plates.
“The public should be assured that our operations are ongoing. We are working relentlessly to apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate,” DCOP Cudjoe stated.
Below are the impounded cars