The Zamfara State Police Command has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to combat banditry, with the arrest of a notorious regional arms trafficker, a local firearms manufacturer, and several suspected bandits during a series of coordinated operations.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dalijan, announced the arrests during a press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Gusau on Tuesday.
He praised the officers and personnel of the Command for their unwavering commitment to tackling criminal activities throughout the state.
According to the Commissioner, a notorious regional arms trafficker was apprehended while transporting a cache of weapons intended for delivery to bandit camps operating in the region.
“We had been tracking a regional arms trafficker who has been smuggling weapons from Algeria through Niger. Acting on credible intelligence, we trailed him as he left Algeria via Niger. Our officers set up an ambush at the Ilela border, where he was successfully apprehended,” he said.
“He has been involved in this illicit trade for the past eight years, supplying arms to bandit groups across the Northwest. During the investigation, four AK-47 rifles were recovered.”
Police operatives also arrested a manufacturer of locally-made firearms from Plateau State.
“Our officers on a night patrol discovered four more AK-47 rifles concealed in a bag of rice. Investigations revealed they were being transported by someone who regularly sourced them from a manufacturer in Jos.
“We managed to obtain the manufacturer’s address, conducted an undercover operation in Jos, and arrested him. He was found to be producing AK-47 rifles and submachine guns (SMGs) with remarkable precision,” the Commissioner added.
Other suspects included motorcycle dealers arrested en route to supply motorcycles to bandits, as well as illegal miners and other criminal elements.
In total, 19 AK-47 rifles, numerous rounds of live ammunition, cash totalling over ₦2.5 million, charms, Indian hemp, a mobile phone power bank, mining equipment, and an excavator were recovered from the suspects.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring peace and stability in the region, urging citizens to continue providing credible information to aid in the fight against crime.