Two persons have been arrested in connection with Tarkwa Bullion Van robbery. The suspects, identified as Charles Enning and Dorcas Akosua Amankwah, are assisting Police in the investigation.
A statement from the Police said preliminary investigations indicate that Charles Enning, a driver, and Dorcas Akosua Amankwah, a teller, “went to Ransbet Supermarket for proceeds made over the weekend to be deposited at the bank but, failed to pick the Police Officer detailed to provide security for them”.
“In the process of putting the money into the bullion van, the suspects were attacked by a masked armed man who fired at the front tyre and windscreen of the vehicle and bolted with the money on a waiting motorbike,” according to Police.
Background
Amidst sporadic shooting, two armed robbers on October 18, 2021, robbed a bullion van of more than GH¢107,000 in front of a supermarket at the centre of Tarkwa in the Western Region.
The robbers were said to have trailed the bullion van, which arrived at the Ransbet Super Shopping Market, at about 9 a.m. to collect the weekend sales to the bank.
One of the robbers was said to have disguised himself as a shopper with a gun on him.
There were no fatalities as the armed men reportedly robbed without resistance.
The Western Regional Police Command confirmed the incident and indicated that investigations were ongoing.
The Manager of the Supermarket, Mabel Dzedu, said the bullion van arrived at the premises of the supermarket without a police escort.
“The robber first entered the cosmetic shop and walked around for a while and then picked a drink and other items, paid for the items at the counter and waited for the items to be bagged,” he said.
Imagery from the CCTV footage at the shop showed that after the cashier on the Mon-Trans bullion van took the money from the supermarket and was about to put it in the bullion van, the robber — who was inside the supermarket — charged on the cashier, snatched the money and walked away to sit on the motorbike, which had the other robber in charge, and sped off.
Manager of the SuperMarket said Mon-Trans was contracted to carry money from the shop to the bank on a daily basis.
“When the bankers arrived, the team went through the process of counting the sales and after the transaction was completed, they carried the money towards the waiting bullion van,” she noted.
Bullion Van robberies have dominated the news headlines in recent times, with the Police adopting strategic measures with industry players to stem the tide.
