The Gombe State Police Command has paraded five suspects over alleged criminal conspiracy, possession of counterfeit United States currency and substances suspected to be mercury.
The suspects were arrested during intelligence-led operations conducted by officers attached to the Dukku Divisional Police Headquarters, the command said on Friday.
Speaking on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said four of the suspects were apprehended at about 11:00am in Dukku town while in possession of counterfeit foreign currency.
The suspects were identified as Kabiru Abubakar, 29, of Dugge Quarters, Dukku; Abubakar Aliyu, 30, of Basirda Quarters, Dukku; Abdulrahman Mustapha, 22, of Ramin Kura, Kaduna State; and Isah Alhasan, 45, of Sheka Quarters, Kano State.
According to the police, the suspects were found with 304 pieces of One Hundred United States Dollar ($100) counterfeit notes.
“During the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to the offence and further indicted the fourth suspect as the supplier of the counterfeit currency,” Abdullahi stated.
In a related development, the police said operatives on the same day arrested two additional suspects at about 8:00am in possession of substances believed to be mercury.
The suspects, identified as Muhammad Muhammad, alias Malam, 40, and Abubakar Bala, alias Boza, both from Nasarawa State, allegedly confessed during interrogation that the substance was intended for use in the production of fake currency.
“They admitted that the substance suspected to be mercury was allegedly used in the production of counterfeit currency,” the police spokesperson added.
All the suspects are currently in police custody as investigations continue to uncover the full extent of the alleged syndicate and recover additional exhibits.
The Gombe State Police Command reiterated its commitment to combating financial crimes and urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to assist security agencies in their operations.
