By RAMATU GARBA

The Police Command in Kano says it has arrested 197 suspected criminals in the past two months in the state.

The command said the arrests were made between March 11 and May 15, as part of effort to rid the state of criminal activities during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

The Police Public Relations officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Kano.

Haruna said that the suspects were arrested through the adoption of sound crime prevention strategies as well as support of the Area Command Policing Advisory Committee (ACPAC) and Local Government Community Policing Advisory Committee (LGCPAC).

He disclosed that the suspects were arrested at different times and locations in the state within the period under review.

“The police arrested 12 suspected armed robbers; five members of kidnapping gang, 10 fraudsters, 115 thugs, seven motorcycle thieves and four drug dealers.

“On March 10; policemen on “Operation Puff Adder”, while acting on credible information arrested two suspects who specialized in defrauding people using fake bank alert.

“During investigation, the suspects freely confessed to have defrauded one Suleiman Mohammed-40, of Kaduna State of the sum of N50, 000.

“The suspects also defrauded the manager of Rayhan Hotel Kano, by using fake bank alert of the sum of N44,000 for four-day lodging,” he said.

Haruna noted that the command also recovered arms and ammunition, vehicles, drugs and substances as well as knives and cutlasses from the suspects.

He added that the command recovered six assorted arms and ammunition including one AK-47 rifle with 30 live ammunition; one Pump Action Gun with bridge No. PF 21340, another Pump Action Gun, two Dane guns, a Duble Barrel gun and 556 live ammunition.

The spokesman listed other recovered items to include 132 knives; 27 machetes, 28 clubs, illicit drugs, four vehicles, two tricycles, seven motorcycles, two bicycles, 48 phone handsets, 162 parcels of Indian Hemp valued at N810,000, and 11 cartons of codeine valued at N935,000.

“The suspects were charged to court for prosecution,” he added.

Haruna quoted the Commissioner of Police, Mr Habu Ahmad, as commending the people of the state for their cooperation in driving Community Policing further to the grassroots, to make the state peaceful.

The commissioner further urged the people to respect stay-at-home order and observe safety protocols to contain coronavirus pandemic. (NAN)

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