A special intelligence squad of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has smashed a notorious fake dollars syndicate that specializes in printing, sales, and distribution of fake US Dollar notes in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
Director of Public Relations, NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja, DCC Olusola Odumosu, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said the corps acted on credible intelligence by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, CG’s SIS.
Odumosu said the operation led to the arrest of two members of the syndicate, 65-year-old Ya’u Muhammed from Bauchi State and 29-year-old Lamido Usman from Taraba State.
The statement said the alleged culprits were found in possession of a total of $15,400 fake US Dollars, one First Bank ATM card, one screwdriver, and an original $100 dollar note.
It noted that the suspects are currently undergoing preliminary investigation after which they would be handed over alongside the exhibits to NSCDC Nasarawa State Command under whose jurisdiction the arrest took place for further action.
“According to intelligence reports, the syndicate has been operating for the past ten years around Mararaba under the bridge, by Heart Plaza, Karu Local Government district of Nasarawa State, before luck ran out on them.
“The report also revealed that they have swindled and defrauded many individuals, millions of naira under the guise of black market operators exchanging Nigerian naira to US Dollars thereby issuing fake dollar notes to their unsuspecting victims.
“In a clandestine operation carried out by the CG’S SIS Squad, the suspects were smoked out of their hideout and subsequently arrested using the sum of N250,000 to disguise in exchange for US dollars,” the statement read.