Syndicates now use anti-tracking gadgets to steal cars – Police

The police in Abuja have revealed that robbery syndicates now use anti-tracking gadgets to steal exotic and expensive cars. The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, who disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday, said one of 71 suspects arrested for various criminal activities across the country was nabbed in connection with […]

The police in Abuja have revealed that robbery syndicates now use anti-tracking gadgets to steal exotic and expensive cars.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, who disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday, said one of 71 suspects arrested for various criminal activities across the country was nabbed in connection with anti-tracking gadgets used to deactivate tracking devices in cars, phones and other equipment during car robbery operation.

“With the equipment, these criminal elements are able to move stolen vehicles from one place to another and keep the tracking systems in the vehicles inactive.

“Three of the four anti-tracking gadgets procured from one of the online shops by the suspect had been recovered and we are making efforts to recover the remaining one.

“What the suspect does is to rent the gadget out to robbery syndicates who steal exotic and expensive cars.

“The idea is to beat the searchlight of the tracking companies and make the detection difficult until they get to their final destination,” he said.

He also said the force recovered Tramadol worth N54 million from one of the gangs during the pre-Christmas mop up operation of the police.

He said nine AK47 riffles, three assorted weapons, two vehicles, one motorcycle and over 18 mobile phones of assorted makes were recovered from the suspects.

Mba said that two of the suspects were arrested with 4,000 packs of Tramadol tablets and other incriminating items in Bauchi on their way to Potiskum.

He said the arrest was in line with the understanding of the police that consumption of illicit drugs had over the years fueled violent crimes.

Mbar also said a two-man gang that specialised in robbing people at ATM points was among the suspects arrested during the operation.

He said the operational system of the suspects “is to go to an ATM point, loiter around and when you are trying to make withdrawal, they approach you on the pretext to offer assistance.

“In the process, two things could happen, it is either that they help you, and in the process exchange your ATM card with their card that is inactive, making you to leave the ATM point without cash, or they help you to make the withdrawal and exchange your card with theirs making you to leave the ATM point with cash and their defective ATM card,” he added.

The FPRO said a total of 184 ATM cards of different banks with different names were recovered from the suspects.

He said a three-man gang that specialised in “one chance”, targeting women using a Mazda saloon car, were among the suspects arrested in Abuja.

According to him, what they did was go around in the car, pretending to be looking for passengers and in the process looking for women that are not too strong for easy operation.

Mba said another two-man gang responsible for house breaking within the FCT, particularly around Gwarimpa axis was among the suspects arrested.

The FPRO said the mode of operation of the suspects was to move from house to house breaking into homes and offices and stealing all kinds of electronic gadgets.

He said 18 television sets of different makes and sizes were recovered from the suspects. (NAN)