The Kasoa District Police Command has launched an exercise to rid the Kasoa township of criminals with the arrest of four persons for allegedly possessing dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp. The four - Mohammed Alhassan, 30; a teacher, Stephen Gatoko, 41; a mason, Jamil Akani, 26; a student, and Abdul Mumuni, 26; a footballer - were picked up at four separate locations at some suburbs of Kasoa. Apart from the dried leaves, the police said they also found sachets of gin in the suspects’ possession. The exercise, which was carried out in the areas of CP, the Odukponkpehe Basic School, and the Kasoa New Market and near the Nsaaniya Senior High School, was led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Moses Na-Kologo, the Kasoa District Crime Officer, and ASP Emmanuel Ofori Asante, acting Deputy District Commander. The Kasoa District Police Commander, Superintendent Ebenezer Kweku Asare, told the Daily Graphic that the suspects would be put before court once investigations were concluded. “This is just a routine exercise based upon intelligence,” he said, adding that the areas where Indian hemp was sold were normally places where criminals met and planned their nefarious activities. He said the police had stepped up activities in and around the Kasoa town and advised persons involved in criminal activities to desist from such negative practices, since they would be smoked out. Superintendent Asare charged Kasoa residents to approach the district command with information leading to the arrest of criminals. “They should get in touch with the police commander if they fear their identity would be disclosed. The residents should also contact the district command for the formation of neighbourhood watchdog committees,” he said. The establishment of such committees, he said, would complement the efforts of the police, since policing is a shared responsibility. Superintendent Asare stated that experience had shown that the existence of watchdog committees brought violent crimes to a minimum or eradicated it completely. He underscored the need for communities to take the setting up of watchdog committees seriously, since Kasoa was a new developing area having most of its roads untarred with many uncompleted buildings which could serve as bases for criminals to plan their activities. ASP Na-Kologo told the Daily Graphic that while some of the four suspects were in possession of the dried leaves some threw the leaves away on seeing the police. ASP Asante, for his part, called for the erection of street lights in the various neighbourhoods and weeding of areas that were overgrown. The absence of street lights in overgrown areas, he said, served as breeding grounds for criminal activities. Graphic that while some of the four suspects were in possession of the dried leaves some threw the leaves away on seeing the police. ASP Asante, for his part, called for the erection of street lights in the various neighbourhoods and weeding of areas that were overgrown. The absence of street lights in overgrown areas, he said, served as breeding grounds for criminal activities.