Motorbike snatcher arrested
A 22-year-old unemployed man who allegedly tricked commercial motorbike (Okada) riders and bolted with their motorbikes has been arrested by the police.
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Augustine Abam was arrested at Omanjor in Accra on February 17, 2012 when he attempted to snatch a commercial motorbike.
The Odorkor District Police Commander, Superintendent Abraham Acquaye, told the Daily Graphic that the police suspected that from last year to date Abam had snatched six motorbikes from their owners using the same trick.
He said three of the motorbikes had been retrieved by the Sowutuom Police who arrested him.
Two of the bikes were retrieved from an alleged stolen goods dealer at Accra Central, while one was found in the suspect’s house.
Stolen item Dealer
The receiver of the stolen items, Seth Kweku Gyamfi, 35, was arrested by the Sowutuom Police but later granted bail.
Supt Acquaye said Abam carried out his operation when he hired the services of commercial motorbike riders to convey him to a destination.
“Then at a point he asked the riders to stop either in front of a shop or a house which he would claim to be his mother’s,” he said.
According to him, after stopping, the suspect would enter the shop or house and returned to request the motor riders to allow him to ride the motorbikes to a nearby destination while the owners waited.
“When he rode them away, he did not return and left the owners of the motorbikes stranded,” he said.
Suspect admits
The suspect, in his statement to the police, allegedly admitted stealing the motorbikes and selling them, depending on the brand and nature, at between GH¢450 and GH¢600 to Gyamfi.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly confessed that Gyamfi then sprayed the motorbikes to make them look new, changed the registration numbers and displayed them at CMB in Accra for sale.
Gyamfi, in his statement, claimed he sold drinks at CMB and that he did not deal in stolen goods.
He, however, admitted having bought four motorbikes from Abam and that he had sold two of them already.
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