Four individuals believed to be part of a highway robbery syndicate were fatally shot by law enforcement officers over the weekend during a firefight along the Bekwai-Fomena highway in the  Ashanti Region, police officials confirmed Sunday.

According to authorities, the suspects had erected an illegal roadblock and were in the process of robbing passengers traveling the busy route that connects the towns of Bekwai and Fomena. Police units responded promptly to distress calls from victims and confronted the gang in what officials described as a “fierce exchange of gunfire.”

Four suspects were confirmed dead at the scene. Two others, who sustained gunshot wounds, reportedly fled into nearby bushland. A manhunt is currently underway to locate and apprehend the escaped individuals.

The Ashanti South Police Command is leading the investigation into the incident and is working to confirm the identities of the deceased. Officials indicated that further details will be disclosed at a scheduled press conference on Monday.

Residents in the area, who have faced a surge in armed attacks in recent months, welcomed the police intervention. “This was long overdue,” said one local shopkeeper. “These robbers have made traveling at night a nightmare.”

The case has drawn renewed attention to the issue of highway banditry in Ghana’s interior regions, with security analysts calling for increased patrols and intelligence-led operations to dismantle organized robbery networks.

Source:TheDotNews