Alleged Hyundai Elantra thieves remanded, police on manhunt for mastermind

Police in Ghana’s Central East Region say they have arrested three men over the alleged theft of a 2021 Hyundai Elantra, after what officers described as weeks of detailed investigations.

The suspects — Douglas Kwame Akunnor, a steel bender; Emmanuel Aduah, a trader; and Richard Baidoo, an entrepreneur — are accused of using a signed cash cheque to obtain the vehicle from a businessman in Kakraba, in the Gomoa East District.

According to police, the men approached the businessman on 24 November 2025 to buy the Hyundai Elantra, which was using trade registration DV 6060-W. Investigators say Mr Akunnor and Mr Aduah presented a cheque for GHS 210,000 on behalf of Albert Akwasi Ofori, who had earlier expressed interest in the car by phone and is now said to be on the run.

Police say that after the businessman deposited the cheque, the transaction was immediately reversed. When he tried to reach Mr Ofori, the caller confirmed the reversal and then switched off his phone.

The businessman reported the matter to police, triggering an investigation led by Detective Inspector Emmanuel Owusu Danquah, with support from other officers, the statement said.

Investigators arrested Emmanuel Aduah on 2 January 2026 while he was attempting to unlock his SIM card in the Western Region, police said. Further questioning, they added, led to the arrest of Douglas Kwame Akunnor, who allegedly admitted his role and demonstrated how the theft was carried out.

Police say the suspects initially did not disclose where the car was, but intelligence later led officers to Nsakina, where the Hyundai was recovered. The vehicle had been repainted from red to black, and a suspected fake registration number plate — GX 3856-21 — had been fixed to it, police said.

At the time of recovery, the car was in the possession of Richard Baidoo, who was arrested on the spot, according to police.

All three men were arraigned before the Kasoa Ofankor Circuit Court on 6 January 2026 and remanded in custody to reappear on 28 January.

Police say investigations are continuing and efforts are under way to arrest Albert Akwasi Ofori, whom they describe as the alleged mastermind behind the operation.