The Asokwa Divisional Police Commander, ACP Mr Charles Domaban, whose unit combined with the team from Accra to arrest the suspects, told journalists at a press conference in Kumasi on Monday that the drug was administered on their victims by one Kate Appiah alias Maame K to herald the operation by the robbers.
Suspects
The leader of the group, Emmanuel Ampabeng alias Stole, together with Kofi Gyimah alias Barima Ye Na, Kofi Nti alias Eto, Kwadwo Owusu alias Kojo Buggie and Kwaku Boakye alias Azaru, all confessed to committing the crime.
They also confessed to robbing a filling station at Nkoranza and two cement depots at Esireze and Tafo Meduma respectively where they took away three money safes.
Items
The police also retrieved an ash Toyota private saloon car, a steel cutter, one long iron bar, one flat screen TV set, two packets of Diazepam tablets, a pair of scissors, one plier and 39 pieces of fake 20 Ghana notes.
Known to be specialists in stealing money safes, the group also confessed to robbing and taking away the safes from a cement depot at Suame Magazine, Maakro, Asenua, Esereso, Tafo and Sunyani-Abesim as well as another safe from an MTN Money Transfer dealer at Kwadaso.
They were also responsible for robbing cocoa depots at Sefwi on two occasions with a pump action gun with the connivance of a cocoa officer whose name is being withheld.
During interrogation, suspect Kwaku Boakye said he received GH¢5,000 from the operation, Barimah Ye Na had GH¢13,500 while one Richard Kwabena Kyere alias Thunder had GH¢5,500.
During the raid, the police also arrested one Frank Oppong alias Kwame Konkomba, for stealing six car batteries at Dechemuoso, IPT, Tafo and Kessben new site
Ejisu
In the second of three separate operations, the Ejisu Divisional Police under the command of Chief Superintendent of police, Mr Laar Baman, on June 23, retrieved two AK 47 assault rifles together with 219 rounds of ammunition, two masks, a pair of gloves, two torches and a dagger from the engine compartment of a Ford Transit bus.
The occupants of the bus ran away and abandoned it at Boankra after they were given a hot chase by a combined team of police and community leaders at Ejisu.
Manhyia
Last Sunday, June 26, 2016, the B District of the Manhyia Divisional police organised a swoop on suspected criminals dens at Aboabo, Alabar, Asafo BB and in the process arrested one Osman Adams, a 38-year-old unemployed at Asem, a suburb of Kumasi.
A search conducted on him led to the retrieval of a locally manufactured pistol.
All the suspects are to be processed for court.
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)