Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested members of a syndicate noted for targeting bank customers and breaking into vehicles to steal cash.
Between November 2024 and June this year, residents of Kumasi have been experiencing a series of thievery, where cash they have withdrawn from the bank has been stolen moments after they have parked their vehicles after moving away from the bank.
The police through intelligence have made a breakthrough and arrested five suspects.
The five suspected thieves were captured on security surveillance cameras breaking into vehicles to steal cash in the Kumasi metropolis. The suspects are said to be foreign nationals.
The five, according to the Police source were involved in a series of targeted thefts by breaking into vehicles in Kumasi.
Their operation was to monitor victims withdrawing huge sums of money from banking halls and breaking into their vehicles to steal the money.
Two Toyota Highlander vehicles used in all the theft cases have been impounded by the police.
The police have named the suspects as Russell Ekenze, aged 29, a taxi driver, Francis Friday, aged 49, a politician, Linus Agwazie, aged 51, a trader, Gifty Ozurumbam and Gladys Ibrahim.
Those arrested together with other accomplices have stolen a total of GH¢497,000 from their victims. A manhunt is underway to arrest Cosmas Maduabuchukwu and the other accomplices who are said to be at large.
Briefing the media in Kumasi on June 23, 2025, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Emmanuel Teye Cudjoe, stated that over the past few months, the command has received numerous reports involving individuals who, after withdrawing large sums of money from financial institutions, were followed and had their vehicle broken into.
He said that these thefts typically occurred when victims left their vehicles unattended and the perpetrators, often using two Toyota Highlander vehicles, gained access to the vehicles using either master keys or forcibly breaking in.
He stressed that investigations revealed that the syndicate operated in a coordinated manner as one of the suspects would loiter around banking halls and car parks to identify customers withdrawing substantial amounts of money, stressing “these individuals would then alert their accomplices, who would trail the victim in their vehicles and strike when an opportunity presented itself”.
On November 15, 2024, a victim onboard a Toyota Camry withdrew an amount of GH¢107,000 at a bank at Ahodwo roundabout. The suspects onboard a Toyota Highlander broke into his vehicle and made away with the money at the bank’s parking area.
Additionally, on March 18, 2025, one of their victims withdrew an amount of GH¢88,000 from a financial institution and parked his vehicle around Obaa Yaa chop bar. The suspects broke into the vehicle and stole the cash.
Also On March 19, 2025, another victim after withdrawing an amount of GH¢22,000 from a bank at the KNUST branch, kept the money in her Kia Sportage vehicle and parked at KNUST Hospital Emergency Unit. The suspects onboard same Toyota Highlander broke into the Kia Sportage and stole the said amount of money.
On March 24, 2025, another victim withdrew an amount of GH¢100,000 from another bank at a KNUST branch. He drove to Ayeduase and parked at the Afrifa junction stretch. The suspects broke into the vehicle and stole the money.
Again on April 9, 2025, a customer of another bank at the Suame branch, went to withdraw an amount of GH¢95,000 and kept the money in his Toyota Rav4 and parked at a nearby food joint at Tafo Pankrono. The suspects using the same Toyota highlander broke into the vehicle and stole the money.
Police reports further stated that on June 11, 2025, a victim withdrew an amount of GH¢85,000 from another bank at Suame and headed to Asawase market near the central mosque and the suspects onboard the Toyota Highlander trailed the victim.
