Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested 23 suspected criminals in the state for different offences.

The command in one of the operations in the state also rescued over 60 victims reportedly missing and recovered guns and ammunition.

Addressing pressmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, the Commissioner of Police in the State, Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, said his men working on reliable information had Rumuaghorlu area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

Emeka said the criminals had unlawfully kept 60 persons in their custody and defrauded them of their money, adding that all the victims were rescued during the operation while 13 suspects were arrested.

He said: “The Rivers State Police operatives were notified on Tuesday, 20/06/2023 at about 2145hrs following actionable intelligence and a complaint of fraudulently obtaining the sum of One Million, Six Hundred, and Fifty Thousand Naira reported by One Chima Ukaghu and Okodo Jonathan, both residents of Port Harcourt, and Bature Solomon, a resident of Ikorodu Lagos, by a syndicate of fraudsters operating at Rumuahorlu, Port Harcourt

“A team of operatives raided two locations housing notorious syndicates and also providing a safe haven for them to carry out their nefarious criminal activities. A total of sixty victims, including eight females and fifty males, were rescued.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that the notorious syndicate defrauded unsuspecting victims and others yet to be identified across different locations in the country of huge sums of money amounting to millions of Naira under the guise of recruiting and training them for non-existent overseas job opportunities," he added.

The CP noted that the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Command, penultimate Thursday, arrested two criminals in a car and recovered an AK-47 rifle, adding that both suspects were from Ndele Community in Emohua LGA.

Emeka said: “Operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Command, on Thursday, 22nd June 2023 at about 1600hrs, while on stop and search along Aluu UDSS Road, stopped a Toyota Corolla car with registration number SPR 32 HA, ash in colour.

“During a search on the vehicle and its occupants, one AK47 rife with 23 rounds of live ammunition with Breech No. 5652, two (2) walkie-talkies, a police face cap, constabulary police ID card, python dance base face cap, two phones, and other assorted charms were recovered.

“The two occupants are both from Ndele community in Emoaha LGA.

"One of the suspects confessed to having engaged the Army in Ndele, where two soldiers were killed. The suspect has expressed readiness to disclose all necessary information which will assist the Police in its investigations,” he explained. (Vanguard)

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