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21.06.2006 Business & Finance

Kumasi Police Pick More Phone Snatchers

21.06.2006 LISTEN
By Times

Barely a week after 26 people here were arrested for dealing in stolen mobile phones, the police have arrested 36 more people but this time they are motor bike riders believed to be involved in the snatching of mobile phones, bags and other valuable items in the Kumasi Metropolis.

The police seized the motor bikes used by the suspects and have started processing the suspects for court.

Inspector Yusif Tanko of the Ashanti Police Public Affairs Unit told the Times yesterday that the Motor Traffic Unit of the Kumasi Central Police undertook the special operations at the weekend.

The suspects were arrested at the Alaba, Zongo, Tafo New Site and Krofurom areas.

For sometime now, he said the police had recorded many reports of mobile phone and other items snatching by persons who use motor bikes. They therefore decided to take it up as part of on-going investigations into the mobile phone snatching in the metropolis.

The police found out that those involved were mostly those who had not registered their motor bikes. Some of their hide outs, he added were located.

On Saturday, the police then stormed those areas and managed to arrest the 36 suspects, most of whom had no registration on their bikes and rode without helmet. Some were even riding faulty bikes, he said.

Inspector Tanko said further investigations were being done into the rampant mobile phone snatching in the metropolis and he assured the public of maximum security.

He however regretted that the criminals live in the communities where a lot of people know what they do and yet they are not liaising with the police for their arrest.

Inspector Tanko said the police will however not relent in their effort but go all out to arrest and adequately prosecute the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, of the 863 mobile phones that were seized by the police last week, a total of 731 have been returned to those who were able to produced the necessary documents covering them.

The police have however, made yesterday the deadline for the other suspects to produce the necessary documents to collect them. If they fail to do so, the police said the public would be made to come and identify them before any court proceedings could begin.

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