Police round up syndicate buying cars with fake bank alerts

11 suspects have been paraded by Enugu police command for different offences bordering on murder, kidnapping, child trafficking, armed robbery and stealing.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Abubakar Lawal said among the suspects are Odoh Tochukwu, Ifenyinwa Okonkwo and Ogbodo Emmanuel, who are alleged to be fraudsters who specialize in stealing vehicles from car dealers with fake bank alerts.

The suspects were arrested at different locations between December 7 and 13, 2021, by police detectives attached to the Anti-Robbery Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department following intelligence on their criminal activities.

Lawal said;

“Preliminary investigation showed that the criminal syndicate specialised in stealing cars by fraudulently sending fake credit alerts to unsuspecting car dealers, as payment for the purchase of cars and other items within Enugu and other parts of the country.

“Six vehicles of different makes and other incriminating items were recovered from them, while further discreet investigation to arrest other members of the criminal gang at large is ongoing.”

The police commissioner also paraded Chioma Nwatu, aka Chioma-Gbashi; Chikwube Nwatu, aka Cheche; and Uwa Emeka, aka Akimbo, who were arrested on December 22, 2021 by operatives of the CP Monitoring Unit for alleged conspiracy and kid

The arrest was effected after an intelligence-led operation on a report which alleged that the suspects and others at large, conspired to kidnap one Amechi Oguama on October 20, 2021.

The gang reportedly demanded and received a ransom of about N10m from the victim’s family, but failed to produce him.

Lawal added;

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects, who confessed to the crime, invited the victim to Enugu from his base in Lagos, to finalise a child adoption deal, after obtaining the total sum of N3,762,500 as payment for the adoption a twin.”

A Mercedes Benz 4matic belonging to the victim and in which he was abducted on the said date, has also been recovered.