OPERATIVES of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested 50 suspected members of various notorious criminal gangs and networks across the country.
The arrests, which were carried out by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad of the Force attached to the Operation Puff Adder II, recovered from the suspects 10 firearms, 2,496 AK47 live ammunition, 10 live cartridges, cartons of Tramadol worth over N3m, substance suspected to be Indian hemp, two laptop computers and eight mobile phones.
A statement on Tuesday by the Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, said one Danjuma Dachung, a 30-year-old native of Ryom, Plateau State and Markus Danladi, were intercepted in Kachia, Kaduna State, conveying 1,565 pieces of AK-47 ammunition in a Volkswagen Golf 3 car.
It said, “Investigations by the police team revealed that the suspects are members of a major ammunition supply syndicate that supplies ammunition from Jos to bandits in their various camps/hideouts in forests in Kaduna State.
“Further investigations led to the arrest of one Suleiman Tukur (55), and his son, Shuaibu Suleiman (18) on 9th March, 2021. They are relatives of a notorious gang leader who was to receive the ammunition conveyed by Dachung and Danladi. Two Hundred and thirty-one AK47 live ammunition were recovered at their residence in Karabi, Kaduna State.”
The police team also arrested two suspects, Daniel Baba, (28) and one Andrew Gbagi, (30), both from Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory for gun running.
The suspects were reportedly arrested at the point of brokering a gun sales deal in the Kwali area of the FCT.
Police investigations revealed that the suspects specialised in selling all calibres of firearms to armed robbers and kidnappers in the FCT and its environs.
They were said to have carried out armed robbery operations in Paiko, Dobbi, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji communities in the FCT.
The statement indicated that investigation was being intensified to locate their armoury, sponsors and other members of the gang at large.
Also arrested were four kidnap suspects said to have masterminded the abduction of one Alhaji Ibrahimaa, a pharmacist residing in Barikin Ladi, Plateau State.
