Three remanded over alleged role in Tarkwa vehicle theft network

A Circuit Court in Tarkwa has ordered three men into custody over their alleged involvement in what prosecutors describe as a wider vehicle-stealing ring operating in the area and beyond.

The accused, Kojo Amponsah, Emmanuel Appiah and Tanko Bashiru, appeared before the court presided over by Her Honour Bernice Mensimah Akoh. No pleas were taken, and the case has been adjourned to 9 April 2026.

According to the prosecution, the three men are standing trial alongside allegations that they acted with a fourth suspect, Isaac Duku, who is now dead. The charges before the court include conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Samuel Ahiabo told the court that the case arose from the theft of a Toyota Land Cruiser pick-up belonging to AECI Explosives Company Limited. The vehicle, valued at about $55,000, had been assigned to the complainant, Isaac Bochulichago Apuri, a miner based at New Atuabo in Tarkwa.

Police say the complainant parked the vehicle at his residence on the night of 7 November 2025, but found it missing the next morning. A report was made shortly afterwards, prompting investigators to visit the scene and begin enquiries.

The prosecution says a breakthrough came months later, on 22 February 2026, when the accused were arrested in Kumasi through an intelligence-led operation in connection with another suspected offence. During questioning, police allege, the three admitted taking part in the Tarkwa theft.

Investigators believe Isaac Duku, now deceased, led the group. According to the prosecution, he arrived in Tarkwa several days before the theft and monitored the target vehicle before finalising the plan. The other three men are said to have joined him on 7 November.

Police allege that later that night the group went to the complainant’s residence, where Duku used a gas cylinder and cutter to gain entry to the vehicle while the others kept watch.

The prosecution further told the court that the accused later led investigators back to the scene and identified the roles each person had played.

The stolen pick-up, police say, was later stripped of its tracking device near Samahu, close to Tarkwa, before being disposed of.

According to the prosecution, the money from the sale was shared among members of the group. Amponsah and Appiah are said to have received GH¢3,000 each, while Bashiru allegedly took GH¢12,000.

Police believe the case may form part of a broader pattern. Investigators say the suspects are linked to a larger syndicate suspected of carrying out multiple vehicle thefts across Ghana, especially in Tarkwa.

The prosecution also claims that the deceased leader sold stolen vehicles in Techiman to a buyer whose identity remains unknown, and that the vehicles were then moved onward to Burkina Faso.