Police bust Bauchi car theft syndicate, recover two vehicles

The Bauchi State Police Command says it has uncovered a suspected car theft syndicate, with the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of two vehicles believed to have been stolen.

The command said the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation carried out by operatives of the Surveillance and Anti-Narcotics Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department on July 12 in the Sabon Kaura area, behind the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Yelwa Campus, Bauchi.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the spokesperson of the command, SP Nafiu Habib, the operation was launched following credible intelligence from members of the public.

The police identified the suspects as 25-year-old Musa Abdulkarim of Kandahar, Bauchi Local Government Area, and 35-year-old Yahaya Mohammed of Dabe village in Gamawa Local Government Area.

Habib said Abdulkarim was arrested in possession of a dark ash Toyota Corolla with Lagos registration number MUS 784 NC, while Mohammed was apprehended with a silver Toyota Camry bearing Kaduna registration number DKA 903 SL.

He said preliminary investigations indicated that both vehicles were reasonably suspected to have been stolen.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed detectives to carry out a thorough investigation to uncover the full network of the suspected syndicate and recover any additional stolen property.

Aliyu also commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, reaffirming the command’s commitment to tackling vehicle theft and other criminal activities across the state.

He urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support crime-fighting efforts.

The police also advised vehicle owners to install anti-theft devices and verify vehicle documents before purchasing used vehicles to avoid dealing in stolen property.