The Ashanti Region Police Command has said it would no longer wait to combat armed robbers when they strike but will rather take the fight to their doorsteps.

Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Kwaku Ampofo, said the police would use the Anti-Robbery Squad, established two months ago, to tactically target the hideouts of the armed groups who are tormenting residents in the region.

“We have been conducting series of swoops on hideout of criminals. We know that crime is related to the use of drugs so they try to find means of replenishing their pockets and their source of drug. As a result, for the past six weeks, we have [arrested] not less than 34 people from their hideouts. We are taking the fight to their hideouts,” he told Francis Abban, host of Multi TV's news analysis programme, PULSE Tuesday.

The police in the region arrested at least 54 suspected armed robbers from various hideouts. Two of those suspects were shot dead, Joy News has learnt. The success of the Tuesday dawn operation has bolstered the confidence the residents have in the security agency after enduring several months of attacks by armed groups.

In June, a police officer was killed by armed robbers at Denchemuoso near Kumasi. This was soon followed by a robbery incident at Pakyi number two. Also in Kwadaso and Kronum, all suburbs of Kumasi, activities by armed robbers led to the death of an employee of Kwamanman Rural Bank.

In the heat of the attacks, the police arrested six persons for allegedly killing the police officer at Denchemuoso.

Some residents who spoke to Joy News believe the arrest is the beginning of something new by the police.

“I think it is good news to hear this as we all know we are in an election year and this is the time people take to violence. For now I feel safe because of the arrest,” one of the residents said.

Another added, the police have to try “harder to arrest good number of the armed robbers in the region.”

ACP Ampofo said the arrest by the police has brought calm to the region which was, hitherto, not the case.

“Residents in Kumasi will testify that things have been different now and this has all been due to the activities of the police,” he said.

Touching on the 54 suspects the police arrested on Tuesday, he said they were taken from several areas especially in Asokore Mampong which has for some time now served as the major hideout for these armed robbers.

He said the police fed on intelligence to arrest the suspects. He explained two of the men resisted arrest resulting in the decision by the police to gun them down.

He said one of the men killed was the supplier of arms used by robbers in the region. “He had four AK-47 assault rifles which he hired to criminals but fortunately for us we have all these four ammunition they are safe at the custody of the police.”

He also said the police retrieved two foreign made ammunitions from a man they arrested some days ago.

He was confident there will be lasting peace and tranquility in the region given the activities and measures the police have put in place.