Luck ran out for a member of a car snatching gang when he and his accomplices attempted to flee with a taxi they had snatched from its owner at Ofaakor, near Kasoa, in the Central Region. Following an alert sent to the police about the incident which took place about 9 p.m last Thursday, the suspect, Edward Agyiri, 20, was apprehended by the police with the assistance of some residents of the community.
His two collaborators managed to escape and the police and the locals have mounted a search for them.
Remand
The suspect was put before the Ofaakor Magistrate Court Friday on the charges of possessing fire arms without authority, attempted carjacking and carjacking and was remanded in police custody for two weeks to enable the police to continue with investigations.
Operation
The Ofaakor District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Samuel Amfo, told Graphic Online that a search on the taxi revealed a locally manufactured gun [Picure below] that could fire five rounds of ammunition.
“The car was registered this year (2020) but for security reasons we cannot give out details such as registration number and the make of the vehicle for now,” he said.
He said about 9 p.m. last Thursday, the police received a distressed call requesting a police dispatch rider to track down some persons who had snatched a taxi cab from its owner.
He added that the police moved in soon after the call and were able to apprehend the suspects.
Arrest
DSP Amfo said Agyiri hired the taxi from the Ofaakor main lorry park about 9 p.m. and on reaching a secluded spot between Papase and Kwaobonzi, Agyiri’s intended destination, he asked the driver to slow down as there was a pothole ahead.
“As soon as the driver slowed down, the two accomplices emerged from a nearby bush and with the assistance of the suspect the driver was attacked. The driver was pushed out of the car. Fortunately for him, a motor rider pulled up and after narrating what he had gone through, the motor rider called the police and also raised an alarm while still riding in the direction the suspects had taken,” he said.
The Ofaakor District Police Commander said on arrival at the scene, the police, with the support of the people, pursued the group and apprehended the suspect.
The two others escaped, abandoning the vehicle in the process.
The driver of the taxi was not physically hurt but he is traumatised and helping the police in its investigations into the matter.
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