Ndudi Anyim
No fewer than 48 suspected criminals have been arrested by operatives attached to Operation PUFF ADDER II, and 41 firearms recovered. Recall that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had flagged off Operation PUFF ADDER II’ on February 15, to reinvigorate the ongoing fight against violent crimes in the country.
According to Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), who confirmed the arrests, the suspects were arrested by operatives of the FIB Intelligence Response Team and Special Tactical Squad of the Force attached to the Operation PUFF ADDER II.
He said the suspects made up of 47 males and a female, were indicted in cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, cybercrime/financial fraud and other heinous crimes in some parts of the country.
Mba said: “ 41 prohibited firearms including 14 AK47 rifles,10 AK47 Magazines, 58 live cartridges, four AK47 live ammunition, four POS Machines, two laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, Internet MODEM and nine ATM cards were recovered from the suspects in the operations. ”
Speaking further on the arrests, the FPRO said a 12-man cybercrime syndicate, notorious for internet fraud and other cyber-related offences, were part of the arrested suspects.
“ The suspects, within the range of 22 and 30, were arrested at a residence in Kubwa area of the Federal capital Territory (FCT), Abuja following intelligence received by the Police, ” he said. The FPRO also stated that a two-man gang was arrested for dealing in illicit drugs in Nasarawa state.
He said the suspects, a 61-year-old physically challenged man, Musa Usman and one Ahmed Shuaibu, 27, sell the drugs to bandits in their camps at Babuga, Nasarawa State.
“ The physically challenged man has been taking advantage of his physical state to evade police attention until his eventual arrest. Thirty-five wraps of substance suspected to be Cocaine, were recovered from the suspects,” Mba revealed. While stating that the IGP has expressed delight with the successes recorded barely 10 days into the operation, Mba said he has assured that the Force will not relent in its commitment at reclaiming the public space from criminals bent on threatening the internal security and bringing such suspects to justice.