A 58-year-old Algerian has been arrested by the police over alleged transborder arms trafficking.
The suspect, said to be supplying arms to bandits in the North West, was arrested on the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara state, Mr Mohammed Dalijan, told newsmen in Gusau that four AK47s were found on the Algerian at the point of arrest.
“The command, acting on intelligence, traced and arrested an arms manufacturer in Jos and tracked and arrested a regional arms trafficker from Algeria at the Illela border point.
“The suspected Algerian told the police he had been committing this crime for eight years.
“The suspect supplies arms and ammunition to bandits in all parts of the northwestern states.
“At the point of the arrest, four AK47s were recovered from him,” he said.
Meanwhile, the command has recovered 12 AK47 rifles during various raids within the last three weeks, in addition to a double barrel and one locally made pistol.
Dalijan said the police also detained other suspects, including bandits and those supplying them motorcycles.
“The police recovered live ammunition and N2.5 million cash, among others, from the suspects,” he said.
He said the police also detained some illegal gold miners and recovered several mining excavators, and warned the ban on illegal mining was still in force.
