The Ghana Police Service has arrested six suspects believed to be part of a livestock-stealing syndicate after intercepting two vehicles transporting stolen goats and a sheep during an operation near Assin Besease.
The arrests were carried out by officers of the Central North Regional Police Command following intelligence and surveillance operations mounted along the Assin Besease barrier as part of ongoing efforts to curb livestock theft in the area.
Police sources said the first group of suspects was travelling in a Pajero vehicle with registration number GR 9864-19. Four occupants of the vehicle were arrested after officers discovered 15 goats and one sheep being transported in the vehicle under suspicious circumstances.
Shortly after the first interception, a second vehicle, a Toyota Highlander with registration number GR 1623-16, was also stopped by the police. Two suspects on board the vehicle were found with 11 goats believed to have been stolen from nearby communities.
In all, police retrieved 27 goats and one sheep from the two vehicles. Fourteen of the animals were found dead while 13 others were alive at the time of the recovery.
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the suspects allegedly used a chemical-laced feed to weaken the animals before capturing them. One of the suspects, who identified himself only as Taakum, reportedly told investigators that maize mixed with chemicals was used to lure the animals, making them weak and easier to capture.
Police investigations further revealed that the Pajero vehicle had allegedly moved through several communities including Breman Asikuma, Kokoso, Amanfopong and Akyem Achiase before heading towards Assin Brofoyedru, where police eventually intercepted it on the Assin Bankyease Road.
During attempts by officers to effect the arrest, a confrontation reportedly occurred between the police and the suspects in the Pajero vehicle, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Two suspects and a police officer sustained various injuries during the incident.
The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at the St. Francis Xavier Hospital.
Meanwhile, the second group travelling in the Toyota Highlander was arrested after police observed suspicious movements along the Assin Maso Ochiso Road.
The suspects, the two vehicles and the recovered animals are currently in police custody to assist with ongoing investigations.
Police say the arrests form part of broader efforts by the Ghana Police Service to clamp down on livestock theft in parts of the Central Region, a problem that has increasingly affected farmers and livestock owners in several rural communities.
Authorities have assured residents that surveillance and patrol operations will be intensified in affected areas while investigations continue to identify other members of the suspected criminal network.
