The Nigeria Police Force has intercepted large quantities of fuel and disrupted several cross-border criminal operations while carrying out patrols across different states.
The operation, which took place in recent days, targeted fuel smugglers, arms traffickers, human traffickers, and other criminal gangs.
According to details from the Force headquarters, police operatives in Adamawa State intercepted 60 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) hidden in a Toyota Starlet on its way to Cameroon. Another 43 jerrycans being ferried on three motorcycles through a bush path into Benin Republic were also seized. In Taraba State, two fuel-laden trucks were abandoned by smugglers after a hot chase in Gembu, while in Katsina State, a motorcyclist attempting to move fuel into Niger Republic dropped his consignment on sighting security patrols.
The operations extended beyond fuel smuggling. At Ikom in Cross River State, police arrested two suspects with locally made pistols concealed in their vehicle. In Ogun State, a pump-action rifle, ten live cartridges, and 20 wraps of cannabis were recovered from fleeing traffickers.
Human trafficking networks were also disrupted. In Sokoto State, operatives arrested a 48-year-old suspect and an accomplice while attempting to traffic a 25-year-old victim into Niger Republic. In another incident at Bachaka, four persons, including two women, were intercepted en route to Libya and Italy through Niger Republic without valid travel documents. The victims were rescued and placed in protective custody.
Vehicles suspected to have been stolen or smuggled were also recovered. In Katsina, officers recovered a Toyota Corolla believed to have been stolen in Niger Republic and arrested another suspect in Daura with a Toyota Carina filled with cartons of illicit drugs. In Oyo State, a smuggled Nissan Micra was seized, while another arrest was made in Daura of a man found with 26 suspected stolen Android phones on his way to Niger Republic.
The operation also led to the arrest of a known burglar in Mubi, Adamawa State, who has been linked to motorcycle theft and serial break-ins. The arrest is believed to have disrupted part of the supply chain of cross-border crime.
The Police said the coordinated operations were aimed at tackling smuggling, trafficking, and armed crime while ensuring the safety of citizens across border areas.