Police bust motorbike theft cartel, seven suspects arrested in Upper West
The Upper West Regional Police Command has busted a motorbike theft cartel in various locations in the region following an intelligence-led operation, which led to the arrest of seven suspects.
A statement by DCOP Francis Yiribaare, the Upper West Regional Police Commander, indicated that the operation also led to the recovery of 17 motorbikes believed to have been stolen from various locations within the Wa Municipality and other parts of the region.
The statement said the operation followed a complaint lodged by a woman on July 11, 2026, that her black Luojia motorbike with registration number M-21-UW 3512 was stolen from the premises of the Ghana National Fire Service in Jirapa.
It added that the victim shared details of the stolen motorbike with friends and the police, leading to intelligence that facilitated the arrest of one Nasiru Muftawu at Loho, a community in the Nadowli-Kaleo District, in possession of the motorbike.
The statement said that during interrogation, the suspect admitted to stealing the motorbike and was subsequently taken into police custody to assist in investigations.
It added that further intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of suspects Basit Muftawu, also known as Posey, 19 years; Issahaku Maruf, also known as Katel, 22 years; and Mohammed Ali, also known as Geewaa, 18 years.
“Additional exhibits connected to the offences were recovered from Rashid Kankan (20 years), Mutala Rashad (20 years), and Haruna Hamdan alias DJ (20 years),” the statement said.
The sustained investigations subsequently led to the recovery of 16 motorbikes stolen from UBIDS (University for Business and Integrated Development Studies), Chakor, and Glamon, all within the Wa Municipality,” the statement said.
It indicated that the suspects had been arraigned before the Wa Circuit Court and remanded into police custody to reappear before the court on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The Regional Police Command appealed to members of the public who might have lost their motorbikes to report to the Wa District Police Headquarters with valid ownership documents to facilitate the identification and retrieval of their motorbikes.
“The Upper West Regional Police Command wishes to assure the public of its unwavering commitment to combating crime and dismantling criminal networks”, the statement said.
It encouraged the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to support the efforts of the police in fighting crime and maintaining peace and order.
GNA