Police have arrested an ex-convict in connection with a violent robbery and carjacking incident reported earlier this year involving a taxi driver.
On 30th July 2025, suspect Vincent Gbetorglo was arrested at the Accra Mall following intelligence gathered by investigators. A search conducted during his arrest led to the recovery of four mobile phones, including one belonging to Vic Martin Obeng, a taxi driver who was robbed on New Year’s Day.
The arrest stems from a complaint filed on 6th January 2025, in which Vic Martin Obeng reported to the CID Headquarters that he had been attacked on 1st January around 9:00 p.m. while working with an ash-and-yellow Toyota Corolla taxi cab with registration number GM 296-16 at Madina Zongo Junction.
According to Obeng, three young men hired him to drive them to Haatso. However, upon reaching a section of the road near the Haatso ICGC Church, the passengers turned violent. They reportedly attacked him inside the vehicle, covered his face with his own shirt, and tied him up.
The suspects forced him to lie on the floor of the back seat, seized control of the vehicle, and made away with his personal belongings, including daily sales and a mobile phone containing a mobile money amount of GHC 13,000. He was later abandoned near Westland.
Following the report, investigators visited the crime scene and launched a search for the suspects with the support of informants. The breakthrough came when Gbetorglo was apprehended with the stolen phone in his possession.
During interrogation, the suspect claimed he had bought the phones at Kwame Nkrumah Circle but was unable to identify or lead police to the alleged seller. Further checks revealed that Gbetorglo is an ex-convict who was sentenced in 2011 by Cocoa Affairs Court 1 to a 40-year prison term. He was, however, released in 2023 after a successful appeal.
Police believe the incident forms part of a broader pattern involving a syndicate targeting taxi drivers with violent attacks.
Intelligence suggests that the methods used—including abduction, robbery, and attempted killings—are consistent with other recent cases and may involve other ex-convicts.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accomplices and recover the stolen vehicle.
