Seven suspected goat thieves, who allegedly engaged the police in a shootout after attempting to steal a number of goats from a pen at Tema Community 20, near Sakumono, have been arrested by the Saku­mono police.

The suspects are Charles Cobblah, aka CC, a 46-year-old ex-convict, Ayiku Odoi, 20, Dennis Boateng, 21, Emmanuel Tetteh, 26, Duke Nortey, 27, Francis Kissi, 31 and Ebenezer Mpata, 27.

An unregistered Nissan Pathfinder, which the suspects used in committing the crime, was also impounded by the police.

The suspects are in police cus­tody assisting in investigations.

Briefing the media, Superinten­dent Alex Wowolo, the Sakumono District Police Commander, said the incident occurred on Sunday, Octo­ber 19, 2014 at Tema Community 20.

He said around 4pm Sunday evening, police received information from the Assembly Member of the area that two suspected thieves who attempted to steal nine goats from a pen, having successfully stolen one »f the animals earlier, had been apprehended by residents and were being beaten.

The Sakumono police reportedly dispatched a motorbike patrol to the scene to rescue suspects Ayiku Odoi and Dennis Boateng from the hands of the irate youth of the area.

The two, upon their arrest, had in their possession one of the stolen goats.

Upon interrogation, the two mentioned suspect Charles Cobblah as the one who engaged them to steal the animals.

According to the suspects, any­time they succeed in stealing the animals, suspect Cobblah, who drives a Nissan Pathfinder, later vis­its the area where the animals are kept and conveys them to the mar­ket for sale, after which the money will be shared.

According to Supt Alex Wowolo, the two suspects were made to call suspect Cobblah to inform him that they had succeeded in stealing nine of the goats so he could come over and carry the animals to the market.

Few minutes after the call was made, suspect Cobblah reportedly arrived in his Nissan Pathfinder in the company of suspects Emmaniu'l Tetteh, Duke Nortey, Francis Kissi and Ebenezer Mpata to convey the animals.

However, on seeing the police Charles Cobblah drove off towards Klagon, but was pursued by the police.

The suspects reportedly engaged police in a shootout to possibly scare the police, but police pursued fur­ther and managed to apprehend the suspects with the help of reinforce­ment.

When a search was conducted in the car, the gun fired was not found.

Supt Wowolo said police believe that the suspects threw the gun into the nearby bush on realising that the police were closer. He appealed to anybody who finds the gun to con­tact the nearest police station.

When the suspects were interro­gated, the other four suspects reportedly mentioned suspect Cob­blah—a man released from prison through a presidential pardon in 2012 after spending eight years in the Nsawam prisons for theft—as the one who engaged them to steal goats for him to sell to prospective buyers.

According to the suspects, sus­pect Cobblah pays them between GHC50 to GHC70 depending on the size of the animal, whenever they embark on a successful opera­tion. According to the other sus­pects, Cobblah usually sells the stolen animals to his customers, mostly butchers, at a cost of GHC120 and GHC130.00

According to the police, the goat the two suspects stole earlier will be used as evidence to prosecute all the suspects in court.