THE Zone 5 Police Headquarters in Benin, Edo State, said it had uncovered a criminal syndicate specialised in the issuance of fake vehicle documents in the Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
It explained that intelligence information revealed that the documents were used to register vehicles stolen from unsuspecting car owners within the zone.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed, who made this known in a statement on Sunday, noted that while acting on credible information, operatives of the zone raided the hideout of the syndicate in Agbor.
Mohammed said the operation led to the arrest of a male suspect, identified as one Garrette Sunday.
“The suspect was arrested following his involvement in registration and issuance of fake vehicle documents for several stolen vehicles at his private residence in Agbor, Delta State,” the statement by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Iheanacho, added.
The AIG stated that during the execution of a search warrant on the residence of the suspect, several items were recovered.
He listed the items as booklets of insurance certificates, which he said were the property of Prestige Assurance Nigeria Limited; booklets of road worthiness certificate and hackney carriage permit, being property of the Edo State Ministry of Transport.
Other items, according to him, are general motor receipts of various states, stenographic laser typewriting machine, a forged third-party insurance stamp for policy authentication and a seal marker for attestation of genuineness.
Mohammed further stated that the police had in September recovered eight exotic cars suspected to have been stolen in the same area, adding that the car dealer absconded to an unknown location.
He said in the effort to unravel the true owners of the vehicles and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, some police operatives visited some motor licensing offices in Benin, Agbor and Yenagoa, where information about the vehicles appeared to be fake.
The statement added, “Meanwhile, the suspect has confessed to the crime and is helping the operatives in the investigation. He will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.
“Members of the public are advised to be wary of these criminal elements and ensure that they register their vehicles at the appropriate licensing offices.”
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