Katsina State Police Command says it has arrested a suspected drug dealer and dismantled a four-man armed robbery syndicate operating in Funtua and surrounding communities.
Police spokesperson, Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the operations led to the recovery of drugs, weapons, stolen items and cash.
He said operatives arrested a 22-year-old suspect, Aliyu Umar, popularly known as “Makami,” during a raid in the Jabiri area of Funtua Local Government Area on May 28.
According to him, the arrest followed credible intelligence linking the suspect to drug trafficking activities in the area.
Exhibits recovered from him included 38 Exol tablets, 28 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, and a knife.
“The suspect is believed to be a key member of a drug peddling syndicate operating in the area. Investigation is ongoing,” he said.
In a separate operation, operatives of the Makera Police Division arrested three suspected members of an armed robbery gang linked to phone snatching, motorcycle theft, shop breaking and other crimes.
The suspects, Salim Umar (24), Yusuf Mustapha (23), and Gaddafi Idris (27) were arrested on May 21 following intelligence reports.
Police said a search of the suspects led to the recovery of weapons including knives, machetes, scissors, an iron pinch bar, and other items such as mobile phones, SIM cards, charms, and cash.
The command added that investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of their operations and possible links to other crimes in the area.
