By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug. 12, GNA – The Ghana Police Service has disbanded seven armed robbery syndicates operating across parts of the Upper East Region through sustained intelligence-led operations.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr John Ferguson Dzineku, the Upper East Regional Police Commander, disclosed this at the opening of a three-day training programme on “Strengthening Inter-Agency Law Enforcement at REGSEC and Community Levels” in Bolgatanga.
He said the syndicates had been operating across areas including Yagaba, Fumbisi, Navrongo, Bawku, Pelungu, Tongo and Gbane, contributing to serious insecurity and armed robbery attacks in the region.
According to him, the Police had, since last year (2025), mounted consistent surveillance on the criminal groups to gather intelligence and understand their motives and methods of operation.
He said the intelligence gathered enabled the Police to deploy various operational methods and tactics, resulting in the dismantling of the seven armed robbery syndicates.
DCOP Dzineku said several weapons, including AK-47s, G3s, M16s, CZs and pistols, as well as quantities of ammunition, were retrieved from the suspects.
He said the arrest of members of the syndicates and the recovery of the weapons had contributed significantly to the relative peace being experienced in the region.
“To consolidate this gain, the Ghana Police Service has increased its visibility and deployed more undercover agents as well as uniformed personnel,” he said.
The Regional Police Commander, however, noted that the Police had identified illicit drug use as one of the factors associated with the activities of some of the armed groups.
He said the Police had, therefore, intensified efforts to combat illicit drug use and trafficking, resulting in the arrest of some drug dealers in the region.
DCOP Dzineku stressed the importance of public trust and inter-agency collaboration in sustaining the gains made in the fight against crime.
“It is said that policing is not done to the people but is done with the people. Without trust, information does not flow. And without information, we cannot fight crime,” he said.
He described trust as a bridge between the Police and the public, saying stronger cooperation and information sharing would enable the security agencies to prevent and respond effectively to criminal activities.
He commended the military and the Ghana Immigration Service for their support, particularly in arresting and handing over suspects and recovered weapons to the Police for investigation and prosecution.
He expressed the hope that the training programme would further strengthen collaboration among the various security agencies and communities.
The three-day training formed part of a pilot project being implemented by the Ministry of the Interior with funding support from the Government of Denmark through the European Union under its Security and Defence Initiative for West African countries of the Gulf of Guinea.
The programme brought together security agencies, traditional authorities, political actors, youth leaders, civil society organisations, the media, and other stakeholders to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, information sharing, communication, and community engagement in preventing security threats.
Mr Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, said the region’s strategic location along Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso made the programme particularly important.
He said security agencies must strengthen information sharing, joint planning, coordinated operations, and intelligence-led interventions to effectively address such threats.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, Technical Adviser to the Minister of the Interior, Mr Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, said effective policing and security management could not be achieved by security agencies working in isolation.
She urged the security agencies to strengthen relationships and collaboration among themselves and with the public to enhance information sharing and effectively combat crime and emerging security threats.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]