The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has thwarted a planned highway robbery along the Antoakrom–Manso Nkwanta stretch, resulting in a fierce shootout that left two suspects dead and significant arms recovered.
Acting on intelligence received on December 31, 2025, about a gang assembling in nearby bush to ambush commuters, police swiftly deployed a team to the area.
Upon arrival, officers encountered four armed men who opened fire and attempted to escape, forcing a retaliatory response. Two suspects—Usmaro Mohammed and Yaw Frimpong, alias Nana Yaw—sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at Bekwai Municipal Hospital. The other two fled into the bush.
Recovered items included an AK-47 rifle with 15 rounds, a loaded pump-action gun with four BB cartridges, four spent shells, a black bag holding 16 live cartridges, and a Toyota Voxy vehicle suspected in prior robberies.
Authorities link the group to multiple crimes, including attacks in Manso and Obuasi, the Mpohor gold heist, Nyinahini highway robbery, and a cocoa shed theft at Sefwi.
Ongoing investigations aim to capture the escapees and accomplices reportedly hiding in Mankranso, Tamale, and Brekum, while tracing the vehicle’s ownership.
The successful operation underscores heightened police vigilance against armed robbery during the festive season.
