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Two suspected armed robbers who attacked a forex bureau at Mpamprom near Kaneshie with three others have been arrested.

The five-member robbery gang, including a woman, caused confusion and mayhem as they fled the robbery scene with their booty by shooting indiscriminately.
Although a substantial part of the stolen cash has been retrieved, 12 people were injured in the process and have been discharged after receiving treatment at the Police Hospital in Accra.

The identities of the two suspects are yet to be disclosed.

The robbers had attacked the Best Nascent Forex Bureau, and in their attempt to escape arrest by onlookers, they started shooting indiscriminately.

The robbers had earlier exchanged gunfire with a policeman on duty at the State Insurance Company (SIC) branch on the Ring Road West, near the Royalhouse Chapel Headquarters at the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle.

Confirmation

The Accra Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr George Dampare, told the Daily Graphic that the three suspects who escaped had sustained gunshot wounds from the exchanges and appealed to health facilities to be on the lookout for them.

He also appealed to community members to relay any information on persons who might be hiding in their localities with gunshot wounds to the police.

He commended all those who took part in the pursuit of the robbers, leading to the arrest of the two.

The chase

Eyewitnesses told the Daily Graphic that Okada riders, traders at Abossey Okai and passers-by responded to the distress call from the forex bureau by pursuing the robbers in all directions.

They said through the collaborative effort of members of the public and a policeman, a substantial part of the stolen money was retrieved and handed over to the Kaneshie Police.

Two pistols were also retrieved from the robbers and handed over to the police.

On hearing that someone had died, a group of Okada riders later besieged the Kaneshie Police Station, demanding the release of the two injured suspects.

Eyewitnesses

There were conflicting reports about the incident, which happened about 4 p.m. last Wednesday.

While some traders in the area claimed two persons had been shot dead, others claimed that the policeman was shot in the mouth during the exchange of gunfire.

One of the Okada riders, Salifu Ahmed, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, told the Daily Graphic that he heard the shout for help after seeing three men and a woman come out of the forex bureau.

Ahmed, who said he suspected the men were criminals, said he was taken aback when he saw two of the men firing into the air and later firing into the crowd while some people tried to take cover.

The chase 

Another Okada rider, who gave his name only as Mohammed, said he later saw two of his Okada colleagues giving the suspected robbers a hot chase and so he joined the chase.

“While we were chasing them, three of them headed towards the Royalhouse Chapel on the Circle-Kaneshie road. At a point they jumped into the old Ghana Reinsurance building, adjacent the Royalhouse Chapel. One of them was able to jump the wall, which is very tall, but the other two could not jump,” he said.

Forex bureau

Later, the Director of the Best Nascent Forex Bureau, who did not disclose his identity, said about GH¢160,000 was stolen by the robbers.

He said he was out of the office when one of his workers called him and told him that they had been attacked by robbers.

According to him, his workers claimed the robbers entered the bureau on the pretext of exchanging some foreign currency but later locked the door and ordered the cashier to empty the money safe into their bag.

The cashier, he said, was shot, even though he obliged.