Suspected criminals attack police

New Edubiase, (Ash), March 10, GNA - A gang suspected to be Indian hemp smokers who escaped a police swoop on them at New Edubiase in the Adansi South District of Ashanti, allegedly attacked a hotel where police personnel live.

The gang was said to have fired shots and stones at the hotel in the night after the police action, destroying some louver blades in the process.

Not satisfied with the attack on the hotel, they were said to have besieged the police station where they hurled stones at the police personnel on duty, but the timely intervention of the police reinforcement saved the situation.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the incident, a police source said they conducted an exercise on Saturday during which they arrested some people who were smoking Indian hemp, but that others managed to escape.

The source said at about 1am on Sunday morning, those who managed to escape stormed the Kwabre hotel where eight police personnel posted to New Edubiase were lodging and fired at the hotel. An eye-witness also told the GNA that at about 1am on Sunday those living around the vicinity of the hotel heard noise and when they got out, they saw a group of people firing at and throwing stones at the hotel.

The witness said after the attack on the hotel, the attackers moved to the police station and attacked the police on duty but were quickly sent fleeing when reinforcement arrived. There were, however, no casualties.

Nana Kwaku Amoah, Manager of the Hotel and Presiding Member of the Adansi South District Assembly who confirmed the story, assured the police personnel, accommodated in the hotel of the resolve of the Assembly to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, the police said they arrested six people during the swoop and that they have been transferred to Obuasi where they are being kept in police custody pending further investigations.