Some 215 suspected criminals have been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command in a three-day operation spanning Thursday, 17 June to Sunday, 20 June 2021.

There are 17 women among the 215 suspects.

The police, in a statement, said the suspects are between the ages of 17 and 52 years.

“The areas of focus for the exercise include Korlebu, Tesano, Amasaman, Nima, Dansoman, Abokobi, Accra central, Teshie, Madina, Bastona, Jamestown, Osu and Lakeside”.

“The 3-day operation forms part of efforts to fight violent crimes, drug peddling, and street robberies.”

“The Police mostly intercepted wrapped narcotics substances, sharp implements, mixtures of concoctions laced with narcotics, tramadol, etc.

“The operation also targeted and impounded 168 motorbikes believed to be used in facilitating the robberies.”

It further said: “The Accra Regional Police Command remains resilient and assures members of the public of providing maximum security as it opens its doors for continuous public cooperation and volunteering of useful information in stemming the ties”.

The swoop follows a bullion van heist at James Town, Accra, by robbers who killed a policeman and a hawker on Monday, 14 June 2021.

A few days ago, the Director-General in charge of Legal and Prosecution of the Ghana Police Service, COP Nathan Kofi Boakye, said the arrest of the suspects involved in the James Town bullion heist is non-negotiable.

At a passing-out ceremony for 320 police recruits at Kumasi on Friday, 18 June 2021, COP Boakye said the suspects involved in the robbery, which led to the killing of a police officer and hawker, will not go unpunished.

“I must emphasise the fact that the Ghana Police Service is able and capable and has the ability to arrest these criminals”, he asserted.

“I’m at this point, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police and the police administration, assuring everybody and the entire nation that these criminals, especially those who committed last week’s crime, and all others who have committed other crimes in recent times, are going to be arrested soon – and I mean soon”, he promised.

“Their arrest is non-negotiable to the Service”, COP Boakye noted, warning: “They can run and run but we will get them.”

There was a second bullion van heist less than a week after the James Town incident.

The latest one happened at Gomoa Okyereko on Thursday, 17 June 2021.

The armed robbers shot through the window of the passenger side of the van, aiming at the police escort.

The van sped off as the policeman called for reinforcement.

Nobody in the van got hurt.

Nothing was also stolen from it.

The Winneba Police Patrol team gun-battled the robbers at Mpata Junction but they fled the scene.

Not too long ago, a policeman, Lance Corporal Martin Babah, was killed while on a bullion van escort duty on the Adansi Fomena road in the Ashanti Region by about 10 armed men.