A 58-year-old Algerian national has been arrested by officials of the Zamfara State Police Command for alleged transborder arms trafficking, News About Nigeria reports.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dalijan, during a briefing in Gusau on Tuesday.
He noted that the suspect was apprehended as part of ongoing operations to combat arms smuggling and illegal weapon distribution in the region.
He stated that the suspect confessed to supplying arms and ammunition to bandits in various parts of the northwestern states for the past eight years.
He also disclosed that within the last three weeks, the command recovered 16 AK-47 rifles during various raids, adding that the police seized a double-barrel gun and a locally made pistol from a suspected arms manufacturer operating in Jos, Plateau State.
The commissioner emphasized the command’s commitment to curbing the proliferation of illegal arms and urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely information.
He stated, “The command, acting on intelligence, traced and arrested an arms manufacturer in Jos and tracked down and arrested a regional arms trafficker from Algeria at the Illela border point.
“The suspected Algerian told the police he had been committing this crime for eight years.
“The suspect supplies arms and ammunition to bandits in all parts of the northwestern states.
“At the point of the arrest, four AK-47 rifles were recovered from him.
“The police recovered live ammunition and N2.5 million in cash, among other items, from the suspects.”
The commissioner warned that the federal and state government ban on illegal mining remains in force.”
