The Kaduna State Police Command says it has arrested 19 suspects in connection with alleged kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and counterfeit currency during a series of operations across the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking at a press briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, said the operations also led to the killing of notorious kidnappers and the recovery of 10 firearms.
The police chief disclosed that within the past two weeks, operatives recovered 190 stolen solar inverters valued at N69 million, 410 rustled cattle, 83 packs of hard drugs, 32 stolen mobile phones, two plasma television sets and a stolen vehicle.
Muhammad added that officers also seized 170 counterfeit US dollar notes during the operations.
“Within the two (2) weeks under review, Kaduna State Police Command neutralised notorious kidnappers, arrested sixteen (16) suspected kidnappers, six (6) suspects found in possession of one hundred & seventy (170) pieces of counterfeit dollar notes recovered,” the police commissioner said.
“Three (3) suspected gunrunners were arrested as operatives recovered ten (10) firearms of different calibre, one hundred and ninety (190) solar inverter worth N69 million naira, one (1) stolen vehicle, eighty-three (83) parks of hard drugs, thirty-two (32) stolen phones, two (2) plasma televisions and four hundred and ten (410) cattle recovered during various operations.”
The commissioner further revealed that police arrested a 20-year-old woman, Aisha Barau, in Ramin Kura Village while she was allegedly attempting to exchange counterfeit US dollar notes for naira.
According to Muhammad, Barau told investigators that the fake currency had been supplied to her by two men, who have since been arrested as police intensify investigations into the suspected counterfeiting syndicate.
