Five suspected highway robbers in the Upper East region are in police custody. The Upper East Regional Police Commander, Mr Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, told newsmen that the gang was suspected to be the syndicate operating along the Buipe, Tamale, Bolgatanga and Bawku highway. They are Hamidu Amadu 26, and Ibrahim Alalbilla 44, both Burkinabe herdsmen, Awudu Forbeen 34 and Abubakari Alidu 32, both from Bawku and Moro Hamadu 28, a Malian national. Two AK-47 assault rifles each loaded with 29 live ammunition, an unlicensed Sukida motorcycle, a jack-knife and two face masks retrieved from the suspects during a search conducted by a joint police and military team in a swoop were also paraded. He said police investigations were ongoing, and the Regional Police Command was liaising with its counterparts in the Northern and Brong Ahafo regions to arrest two other members of the syndicate now on the run. Mr Gyeabour said the suspects had appeared before the Bolgatanga District Magistrate's Court presided over by Mr Justice Abdul-Hakeem Osman and remanded in prison custody at Navrongo to re-appear on Thursday, May 10. He commended the local community at Bawku for its immense support that led to the arrest of the suspects. Mr Gyeabour assured the public that adequate measures had been instituted to maintain law and order, and security agencies in the region had intensified mobile and foot patrols both during the day and night to clamp down on armed robberies and other criminal activities. Source: GNA