The NSCDC officials were said to have acted on credible intelligence to fish out the syndicates in clandestine operations spearheaded by the Corps Special Intelligence Squad.

Officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC have arrested two syndicates involved in fake currency productions and distribution at the weekend.

The NSCDC officials were said to have acted on credible intelligence to fish out the syndicates in clandestine operations spearheaded by the Corps Special Intelligence Squad.

According to the spokesman of the Corps, Olusola Odumosu, one of the groups arrested comprised four male adults who were caught with fake 64,800 United States dollars.

They also had in their possession N475,000 notes. The second group had fake N1.5 million notes on them when they were apprehended.

The names of members of the syndicate arrested with the sum of N1.5m are ; Dantala Omale, ‘M’, 30yrs, Plateau State,  Musa Abdullahi, ‘M’ 24yrs, Plateau state, Audu Abdulazeez, ‘M’, 56yrs, Gombe State, Umar Hassan ‘M’, 46yrs, plateau state and Mahammadu Badaru Yakubu ‘M’ 30yrs, Nasarawa State,” Odumosu said in a statement.

He said the arrest was effected when one Dantala Omale was lured to Nasarawa from Plateau State and picked up by the squad on the 22nd of February, 2023, with fake new naira notes of N412,000.

Providing details of the operations,  Odumosu said: ”The arrested suspect confessed getting the fake notes from Musa Abdullahi, AKA Baballe which led to the arrest of Abdullahi on 22nd of February, 2023 at Namu area of Quanpan LGA in Plateau State in possession of N49,650 old naira notes.

“After a thorough interrogation, Abdullahi confessed that he usually gets his supply of fake currencies from one Audu Abdulazeez, AKA Dan-Gombe, who the squad arrested on the 3rd of March 2023, at Plateau Express service motor park in Jos, Plateau State, at about 11:20 a.m with N350,000 fake newly redesigned Naira notes.

“The effort of the squad to arrest all members of the syndicate paid off when Abdulazeez confessed to giving one Umar Hassan the fake notes. When Hassan was apprehended, he was in possession of N20,500 and he also confessed to his involvement in the crime and that he regularly transacts with one Mohammadu Badaru Yakubu, who was also arrested close to the old CBN office in Lafia town, at about 3:10 p.m on March 5, 2023 with fake N2,000 of the new naira notes.

“Further investigation, however, revealed that the group operated within and around Plateau, Nasarawa, Bauchi and Gombe states.

“Members of the second syndicate arrested with the exhibits of $64,800 and N475,000 are; Jonathan Dakogol, Abbas Ibrahim, Isa Ukashatu and Aminu Isa.

“Isa Ukashatu and Jonathan Dakogol were arrested with fake $64,800 and N475,000 at Akurba of Lafia LGA, in Nasarawa State after being lured to deliver the money to a client.”