In the wake of the murder of six people in Kumasi by armed robbers within two months, police strength in Ashanti Region is being beefed up, Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, of the Police Public Affairs Unit, has said.

He said the police administration has deployed 300 more men to Kumasi to curb the high incidence of armed robbery and other violent crimes in the Metropolis.

Inspector Tanko said this brings to 400, the number of personnel drawn from the Rapid Deployment, Striking and Mobile Forces and other specialised units from Greater Accra, Central and Tema regions to combat the menace.

Kumasi Metropolis has been rocked by armed robbery and mobile telephone matching of late in areas like Daban, Sokoban, Alaben, Bantama, Krofofrom, Pankrono, Adabrieka and Dichemso.

The personnel under the command of Jonathan Yakubu, Director-General of Police Operations, have so far raided narcotics bases and known dens of criminals, in Ash Town, Suame Magazine, Ayigya Zongo, Kwadaso, Hsawaso Dagomba line and Bolga station arrested over 200 suspected criminals, 21 of whom had been remanded into prisons custody by the courts on armed robbery and narcotics trafficking charges.

One of them, Philip Sarfo, also known as Sarfo Asante, 37, was arrested at the Tafo Cemetery with 661 wrappers of suspected cocaine.

Source: The Ghanaian Times