Police arrest 32 suspects in major robbery and crime crackdown

The Ghana Police Service has arrested 32 suspects linked to a wave of armed robberies targeting bank customers, gold dealers, mobile money vendors and travellers on the nation’s highways, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, disclosed at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026.

Breaking down the arrests, the IGP said those held comprised 29 Nigerians, five Ghanaians and two Cameroonians, bringing the total number of suspected armed robbers netted in the coordinated, weeks-long operation to 36.

Surprisingly, among those picked up was a 14-year-old boy, who police say was recruited by the syndicate to serve as a lookout during their operations.

The IGP said the arrests formed part of seven major operational breakthroughs recorded by police intelligence teams working alongside Regional Police Commanders across the Greater Accra, Western, Ashanti, Northern and Savannah regions.

The cases included a foiled attack on banks at Labone in Accra, a gang accused of targeting gold dealers and mining communities in the Western and Ashanti regions, and a gang linked to armed robberies along the Fumbisi-Yagaba road and the Buipe-Tamale-Mion corridor in the north.

Police said one of the robbery operations turned deadly, with a gunshot fired during an attack resulting in the death of a victim, while separate confrontations with officers left other suspects dead during the crackdown.

Officers recovered a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition during the operations, including AK-47 assault rifles, pump-action guns, pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and several vehicles believed to have been used by the gangs.

The IGP assured the public that police were pursuing outstanding accomplices still at large and urged citizens to continue volunteering information to help dismantle the remaining networks.