The Ashanti Regional Police Command has dismantled an organised armed robbery syndicate operating within the Kumasi metropolis, arresting six suspected gang members and an accomplice who allegedly unlocks stolen mobile phones.
The suspects have been identified as Philip Nyarko, alias “Kawawa”; Hadi Samed, alias “Toronto”; Issahaku Musah, alias “Isak”; Suraj Mohammed, alias “Baba Nde” or “Trouble”; Hadi Abdul Majeed, alias “Panie”; and Foster Owusu Afriyie, alias “Joe Fraizer”.
A seventh suspect, Augustine Agyemang Duah, was also apprehended for his alleged role in assisting the gang to unlock stolen mobile devices.
Addressing the media, Head of the Public Affairs Unit for the Ashanti Region, Superintendent Godwin Ahianyo, stated that the operation forms part of the command’s ongoing drive to curb violent crime across the region.
“During August 2026, the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit, Kumasi, acting on intelligence arrested six persons suspected to be members or associates of an organised armed robbery syndicate operating within the Ashanti Region,” Superintendent Ahianyo revealed.
Preliminary police investigations have linked the syndicate to multiple street robbery incidents across various communities, including Kaase, Ahinsan Estate, Santasi New Site, Bronikrom, and Kwadaso Estate.
Items recovered during the swoop include two motorcycles, two machetes, knives, an iPhone 13, five keypad mobile phones, a laptop, and thirty-three assorted mobile phones, among other exhibits.
Police updates further revealed that two of the primary suspects, Philip Nyarko and Hadi Samed, alongside another accomplice, Abdul Shattar, were previously arrested on December 6, 2025, for conspiracy, robbery, and attempted robbery. They were arraigned before the Asokwa Circuit Court 1 and subsequently granted bail, with the case still pending before the court.
Following their release on bail, the suspects allegedly resumed their criminal operations. Abdul Shattar is currently at large alongside five other suspects identified as Andy, Umaru, Dauda, Malik, and Abdul Farouk.
“The Police are intensifying efforts to apprehend Abdul Shattar and other persons suspected to be connected to the syndicate,” Superintendent Ahianyo assured, while advising members of the public against confronting any of the suspects.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has expressed its appreciation to the IGP’s Special Operations Team for their technical and operational support, while urging victims of recent robbery incidents to contact the command to help identify their stolen property.
