The police in Gombe have apprehended a 30-year-old suspect alleged to be a member of a cross-border kidnapping syndicate.

The command’s spokesman, Buhari Abdullahi, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Gombe.

He said operatives of the command apprehended the suspect (name withheld) on October 4, following an intelligence report in connection with a series of kidnappings for ransom within Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon.

Mr Abdullahi said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect hailed from the Song Local Government Area of Adamawa and resided at Jauro Jatau Quarters in Akko, Gombe State.

He said the investigation showed the syndicate was involved in several kidnapping operations, and their arms cache was concealed in a mountainous area near Wuro Biriji village in Song.

“A follow-up operation on Sunday by the command operatives to the said location led to the recovery of the following exhibits,” he said.

Mr Abdullahi said the police recovered two AK-47 rifles, 80 rounds of live ammunition, seven AK-47 magazines, a chain, padlocks, a knife, and four small bags.

He said the command had intensified efforts to apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate to dismantle its network.

Meanwhile, the police have detained three suspects over alleged criminal conspiracy, robbery, and an attempt to commit culpable homicide.

He said police also recovered two motorcycles from the suspects.

(NAN)