The Kano State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a trans-border car theft syndicate involved in the stealing and smuggling of a vehicle taken during a test drive in the state.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the suspects, including the gang leader, Shamsu Yusuf, popularly known as “Chitta”, were apprehended through a coordinated operation by the Special Intervention Squad (SIS).
The case began on July 7, when a car dealer, Abdulqadir Abdurrahman of Gadan Kaya Quarters, reported that a man posing as a potential buyer had stolen a gold-colored 2013 Toyota Corolla during a test drive from Dangari Motors.
Following intensive investigations, operatives led by CSP Rabiu Gidado arrested Chitta and his two accomplices, 40-year-old Bashir Ladan from Shagari Quarters and 41-year-old Suleiman Muntari from Tudun Matawalle, both in Katsina State, on July 17.
The stolen vehicle, which had already been sold across the border in Niger Republic, was successfully recovered.
The statement further disclosed that the prime suspect confessed to his involvement in multiple similar crimes, including the recent theft of a Mercedes Benz GLK.
Commending the Special Intervention Squad for their swift and professional response, Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, urged car dealers to be extra cautious when dealing with prospective buyers. He also reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring public safety and curbing criminal activity across the state.
