The police in Rivers State today said its operatives smashed a drug trafficking syndicate and recovered 300 parcels of weed suspected to be Indian hemp.
Speaking during a press briefing today at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, said the syndicate was rounded up following credible Intelligence.
Emeka, explained that the operational vehicle of the gang was also intercepted and its driver arrested, after attempting to evade arrest.
He added that the suspect and exhibits were in police custody and an investigation was ongoing.
He said, “Operatives of C4i Intelligent Unit, on 28th October, 2023, at 5:20pm base on credible information received, intercepted one Volkswagen Bus with Reg/No MUS 910 YA, white in color, when they sighted the Police the driver took to his heels, the police gave him a hot chase and arrested him.
“Upon search in his vehicle and recovered three hundred (300) parcels of weeds suspected to be India hemp. The suspect and the exhibit are in police custody, investigation on going.”
In a separate development, the Commissioner revealed how operatives of the command gunned down a wanted armed robbery kingpin and recovered his operational arms and ammunition as well as a snatched victim’s vehicle valued at N13m.
Emeka, noted that the Police on Wednesday November 1, 2023 at about 4:00 pm, received credible intelligence about the suspect who was on the Police wanted list after he checked into a Hotel located at Chokocho along Etche road, in Etche Local Government Area of the state.
He disclosed that the suspect in a bid to escape from the police who arrived the scene, opened fire on police, but was immediately overpowered by the police, adding that stolen items valued at N850,000 were recovered from the suspect.
He said: “The suspect, who is the leader of the team shot the victim on his left leg which later resulted in the amputation of his leg, and also snatched his Ash colour Geely Coolray Salon car valued at Thirteen Million naira (N13, 000, 000. 00) and also robbed him his two GSM handsets, Samsung Galaxy note 20, Techno Planton 1 both valued Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand naira (N850, 000 .00) and other personal valued properties.
“The notorious gang leader in a desperate bid to escape arrest, opened fire on the team of operatives but was brought down by the superior fire power of the police. However, he was rushed to the Hospital for medical treatment but was confirmed dead by the Doctor on duty.
“One AK47 Riffle, two magazines, twenty-one rounds of ammunition of 7.62mm Ammunition, and a police handcuff with a key were recovered. Also, the receiver of the stolen vehicle was arrested, one Yakubu Imman Abdullahi ‘m’ aged 35yrs, and Nuhu Saleh ‘m’ aged 41yrs Investigations on going to arrest other fleeing members of his gang.”
