By Our Reporter
The Oyo State Police Command has dismantled a suspected transnational criminal syndicate allegedly involved in trafficking stolen luxury vehicles across Nigeria’s borders for sale in foreign countries.
The operation resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of a Lexus RX 350 SUV allegedly stolen in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan, saying the suspects were apprehended during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit.
The suspects were identified as Adewale Abiola, 33, and Kabiru Abobarin, 36, also known as “KB”.
According to the PPRO, one of the suspects, who was already in police custody over an armed robbery case involving about 10 alleged victims, provided information about a syndicate specialising in receiving and transporting stolen vehicles to foreign countries.
Ayanlade said operatives subsequently allowed the suspect to use his mobile phone under controlled circumstances. During this period, members of the alleged syndicate reportedly sent him photographs of a vehicle they planned to steal and instructed him to arrange its reception and transportation across the border.
The police later received information from the Kwara State Command on August 24 that a 2017 Lexus RX 350 SUV had allegedly been stolen from a woman at gunpoint at her residence in Ilorin.
Following the report, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga, directed the VCRU commander to deploy operatives for intelligence-led stop-and-search operations along the Ibadan–Ilorin Expressway.
The police said that at about 4am on August 25, operatives sighted the stolen Lexus and attempted to stop it for questioning. The occupants, however, abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush.
The operatives reportedly pursued the suspects, leading to the arrest of two of them. One of the suspects sustained a gunshot wound to his left foot during the operation.
A search of the recovered vehicle also led to the discovery of valuables allegedly belonging to the victim, including four HP laptops, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a bag containing seven wristwatches and jewellery.
The suspects allegedly confessed that the vehicle had been received from a syndicate that stole it in Ilorin and that they were transporting it towards the border, where an ECOWAS document would allegedly be obtained to facilitate its movement into another country.
The recovered vehicle has been taken into police custody as investigation continues.
Olugbenga commended the operatives for their prompt response, professionalism and effective use of intelligence. He directed that the investigation be intensified to identify and arrest other members of the alleged syndicate and dismantle its wider transnational network.
The command also praised the cooperation between the Oyo and Kwara State Police Commands, stressing that sustained inter-state intelligence-sharing was essential to tackling organised and transnational crime.