Police arrest 5 over fake bank alerts, recover suspected counterfeit foreign currencies – Daily Trust

The Yobe State Police Command has arrested five suspects over alleged fraud involving fake bank transfer alerts and recovered suspected counterfeit foreign currencies during a raid on their hideout.
The command’s spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement issued in Damaturu.
He said the suspects allegedly conspired to obtain 10 bags of fertiliser valued at N488,000 after falsely claiming they had transferred payment to the seller.
According to him, the Potiskum Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress report on Saturday from the victim, who alleged that the suspects deceived him with a fake bank transfer alert before taking possession of the fertiliser.
He identified the suspects as Mohammad Ibrahim of Don Etiebet Estate, Damaturu; Abdullahi Aliyu of Kofar Ruwa, Kano State; Muhammad Mukhtar of Commissioners’ Quarters, Damaturu; Mohammad Bashir; and Alhaji Ahmad Mohammad, both of Obasanjo Road, Damaturu.
“The operatives swiftly mobilised, deployed intelligence-led policing strategies and arrested the suspects before they could dispose of the goods,” Abdulkarim said.
He said detectives later executed a search warrant at the suspects’ hotel room in Damaturu, where they recovered 10 pieces of suspected counterfeit 100-dollar notes, 56 pieces of suspected counterfeit 50,000 Somali shilling notes, a calabash, bottles of perfume, a black-and-white cloth, and other suspected charms and ritual items.
The police spokesman said investigators were working to determine the source of the suspected counterfeit currencies, establish whether the syndicate was involved in producing or circulating fake currencies, and identify other members of the network.
He added that the suspects were assisting investigators with useful information.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Kamfani Jibrin, advised traders and residents to verify electronic payment transactions before releasing goods and to exercise caution when dealing in foreign currencies.