The Ashanti Regional Police Command headed by DCOP Kofi Boakye has apprehended 35 suspected criminals at separate swoops in Kumasi; a strong indication that the law enforcement agents are firmly in control of the secu­rity situation in the area.

The police have also declared 20 people, believed to be notorious hoodlums terrorizing innocent people in the region, wanted. They have deployed over 50 men who are currently combing every corner of the region in an attempt to arrest the peo­ple on its wanted-list.

Key among the gangsters on the police wanted-list are Baba Musah and Azuure, two known notorious armed robbers who have continu­ously terrorized scores of innocent people in the region with their heinous activities.

The recent police swoop which mainly centered at the Manhyia Division in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, lasted four days and resulted in the confiscation of deadly weapons including a AK47 riffle and pump action gun from some of the gang­sters.

In his maiden press encounter as the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, on Mon­day morning issued a strong warning to criminals in the region that the police were on top of the security situa­tion, stressing that the region would be a no go area for hoodlums.

Throwing more light on the arrests, he said the police, acting on a tip-off, arrested 10 suspects from the Afford­able Housing Units at Asokore Mampong at a time when the suspects were planning to go on a robbery expedition on February 23, 2014.

He mentioned the sus­pects as Sharrif Mohammed, Daniel Asampana, Bernice Banatule, Dorcas Kyerema, Moses Tetteh, Anthony Atanga, Charles Akoleke, Mohammed Abdul Raman, Samuel Addahyre and Ako- sua Mobila. They have been remanded in police custody assisting with investigations.

DCOP Boakye said around 5:30pm of March 3, suspect Mohammed Sani,18, aka Rebels, who is unem­ployed and a native of Cape Coast, was arrested for attacking Yakubu Abubakar at his Aboabo residence.

He said Rebels had successfully robbed his hapless victim of his plasma TV, one DVD player, one dell laptop and an amount of GHc 780, when the police pounced on him, adding that two accomplices of Rebels by name Wasiew and Rauf absconded.

On March 4, around 2:30am, the Police Regional Operations Team, grabbed one Saeed, an unemployed 19-year-old at Aboabo Num­ber One near Royal with a sharp machete concealed in his coat, planning to attack a passerby at a known robbery spot.

On the same day at 2:30am, the police also arrested Mohammed Adel, 27, a native of Salaga in his hideout at Aboabo and found a NHIS card, Voter's ID card and one ATM card, bearing the name of Alhaji Mahama, after he was thor­oughly searched.

Still on March 4, the police arrested Iddrisu Alhassan, 25, a scrap dealer and Mohammed Awal Tamimu, 33, a tailor, who have been on police wanted- list for some time now, from his hideout at Aboabo.

Four other suspects namely, Frank Lawson, 25, Kofi Baah, 19, Enock Essel, 29 and George Mensah, 23, who were believed to be part of a group of hoodlums that rob people of their valuables at the Asafo Interchange and around Asafo, were arrested by the police around 5:00am of March 5.

On March 6, the police landed at Dagomba Line in Kumasi, where Iddi Issah aka Ratty, a 23-year-old scrap dealer and a known member of Baba Musah's notorious armed robbery gang, was picked up by the police.

DCOP Boakye said on the same day, Abdul Sherrif, 18, a shoemaker, who is believed to be a member of Azuure's robbery gang, was arrested, adding that the police seized AK47 assault rifle, a pump action gun and two machetes from some gangsters that stormed Asenua.

He said these armed rob­bers had molested and robbed some tenants of a household of their valuables like two laptops, one hard disc, a CCTV, two decoders and an amount of GH<t400 and they were heading to another house when the police arrived. The suspects fled leaving their weapons and booty behind.

DCOP Boakye said on February 23, the police arrested Samuel Addahyere aka Samtuga, 20, and his . accomplice, Mamud Abdul Rahman, 21, suspected to be part of a group criminals that have been terrorizing students and residents of the Kwame Nkrumah Universi­ty of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus, Ayeduase and surrounding areas.

He said the suspects arrested have been remand­ed into police custody, assist­ing with investigations, adding that the police regional operations team, on March 7, around 2:00pm, mounted two separate swoops around Suame roundabout and Kumasi Children's Park leading to the arrest of 11 suspected criminals.

The police capo noted that on March 9, one Kwame Musah aka Mad Lion noted for terrorizing traders and residents around Twumasi Junction, Asawase, was arrested and when he was searched, a pair of scissors and a screw driver were found on him. He is being processed before court.

Assurance

DCOP Boakye assured the public that the police would embark on continu­ous and aggressive law enforcement in the region to bring violent crimes to the barest minimum, stressing that the police would carry out its duties without con­sidering the ethnic, religious, political, or any background of the people.

He therefore called on the public to cooperate with the police by furnishing them with necessary infor­mation that would lead the police to the hideouts of criminals to thwart their efforts and help make the region a safer and a better place for the people to live.

DCOP Boakye said so long as he remained the Regional Police Commander, no community, area or house could be declared as no-go- area for the police, reiterat­ing the preparedness of the police to battle crime with civility, impartiality, firmness and fairness.