Three arrested over gold robbery at Wassa Afransie

Three men have been apprehended by the Western Central Regional Police Command for their alleged involvement in a violent gold robbery at Wassa Afransie in Ghana’s Western Region.

The suspects—Felix Adjei, alias "Africa" or "Nana Adjei"; Emmanuel Kelvin, a Nigerian national; and Kofi Appiah, also known as "Kesse"—are accused of attacking employees of Mas Palasco Gold Buying Limited and making away with gold worth GH₵199,000 and other personal items.

Police reports indicate that on April 4, 2025, Kofi Appiah, who was employed as a company driver, and his colleague Emmanuel Adu were returning from Wassa Ayiem after retrieving gold from a customer when gunmen emerged from nearby bushes and opened fire to scare them. The assailants escaped with 14 pounds of gold, two mobile phones, and a Toyota Corolla vehicle, which was later discovered abandoned in a neighboring town.

Following intelligence and investigations, police arrested Kofi Appiah at his home in Wassa Akropong on April 21. The remaining two suspects were later tracked down and arrested at separate locations.

Law enforcement officers also seized a cache of weapons and ammunition during the arrests. Among the items recovered were a Jojeff pump-action shotgun, a Calymm PDS pistol with no serial number, 25 rounds of 9mm bullets, two G3 cartridges, a locally made pistol, an AA cartridge, and GH₵65,000 in cash believed to be proceeds from the robbery.

The suspects remain in police custody and are assisting investigators. They are expected to be arraigned soon as authorities continue efforts to clamp down on armed robbery in gold-trading communities.