A serving Mobile Policeman has been arrested in Lagos State for armed robbery.
The policeman, simply identified as Sergeant Zakaria, is of the Mobile Police Force 20, Lagos State.
Zakaria was said to be a specialist in receiving stolen vehicles.
He was arrested by policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
He is said to be still undergoing interrogation.
It was discovered that Zakaria sells the stolen cars and gives out for car hire service.
The downfall of Zakaria began after he was fingered by a suspected car thief identified as Olaitan Olajide.
Olajide was arrested after stealing one of the cars parked inside a Catholic Church located in Festac area of Amuwo Odofin in Lagos State.
Olajide, who confessed that he specialises in removing cars parked in church premises during worship hours, said he had removed several cars.
A police source said: “The suspect boasted to policemen quizzing him that there was no vehicle tracker he couldn’t disable. He said he was a battery charger before he started stealing vehicle. When he was arrested, he mentioned Zakaria as the person who used to receive stolen vehicles from him.”
The policemen argued over the best way to arrest Zakaria.
They knew if they asked Zakaria outright, he would deny being part of Olajide’s network.
They decided to trick him.
The source narrated: “In order to arrest Zakaria, police told Olajide to call him. The policemen told Olajide to tell Zakaria that he had a Pajero Jeep for sale. When Olajide called Zakaria, they greeted like old friends. When Olajide told him about the Pajero Jeep, Zakaria asked how much. Olajide said N5 million. Zakaria said he didn’t have that amount for now. The suspect told him to come and check out the jeep first. When he came to check out the car, FSARS operatives arrested him.”
Policemen investigating the crime have discovered that a Federal Road Safety Corps official is also involved in the gang.
The work of the FRSC official is to wipe out the original registration of the stolen vehicle from the database and register it again.
The source added: It’s actually Zakaria that used to handle that aspect for the gang. He has an agent in the FRSC licencing office. Once they wipe off the registration of the stolen car from system, nobody would ever be able to find it. Zakaria gives the FRSC official money and the person would wipe off the original registration. He would now register the vehicle as a new one, giving it new number. If you want to trace the former one, you wouldn’t be able to do that.”
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