Seven arrested as police bust suspected highway robbery gang

The Ghana Police Service says it has dismantled a suspected armed robbery syndicate believed to be behind a string of highway attacks across parts of the Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti Regions.

Seven alleged members of the gang are in custody following an intelligence-led operation triggered by a violent robbery at Peduase, Aburi, on 29 November 2025, where masked men stormed a private residence and made off with cash, jewellery and mobile phones at gunpoint.

Police say the group targeted motorists, trailer drivers and residents along key transport corridors, stoking fear among commuters and communities on routes including the Tema Motorway, Achimota Forest Road, Pokuase, Amasaman, Suhum, Nkawkaw and the Juaso–Kumasi stretch.

Those arrested have been named as:

Salia Mohammed, also known as Kwaku Nuah (27)

Kofi Ishmael, also known as Ishmael Addo or Kofi Ketewa (32)

Kwame Bediako, also known as Star Boy or Nkokorpor

Kwadwo Kalovi, alias Aticho

Mumuni Abdul Razak, alias Mogambo (39)

Kwasi Akambuley, alias Kwasi Fresh (27)

Kwame Bonsu, alias Killer Ntua

All seven are being held by police; one suspect is receiving medical treatment under guard.

According to the Police, a joint operation by the Eastern and Accra Regional Police Intelligence Directorates led to the arrest of 30-year-old Kofi Ishmael at Avenor in Accra on 6 January 2026.

During questioning, Ishmael is said to have admitted taking part in the Peduase robbery and identified Kwame Bediako (Star Boy) as the alleged leader of the gang.

Bediako was later picked up at Ablekuma Agape. A search of his home uncovered a pump-action shotgun concealed in a fence wall, together with four BB cartridges.

Police say Bediako also confessed to involvement in multiple robberies and confirmed that the group had been active along several major highways.

Investigators believe the suspects were linked to earlier attacks on market women and motorists, including at least one incident in which a driver was killed.

Some members of the group are also alleged to have jumped bail in ongoing criminal cases, reinforcing what police describe as a pattern of persistent offending.

Officers have recovered firearms, ammunition, machetes, knives, mobile phones and other items suspected to be proceeds of crime. Efforts are under way to track down any remaining members of the network.

Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs for the Accra Regional Police Command, said the operation forms part of a broader crackdown on violent crime.

She encouraged members of the public with information relevant to the investigation to contact the nearest police station, adding that the Service remains committed to making the country’s highways and communities safer.