Police Arrest Two for Printing Fake Telecom Recharge Cards

Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested two men suspected to specialise in printing fake recharge cards. Mr. Murtala Mani, commissioner of Police in the state, said this in Uyo on yesterday while briefing journalists on the activities of the suspects.

Represented by his ASP Onyeka Orji, aide and former Police Public Relations Officer, Mani stated that the syndicates were smashed on March 7, through intelligence information.

He gave the names of the suspected syndicates as Mr. Etini Solomon, 21, from Abak Local Government Area of the state and Mr. Itohowo Joseph, 22, from Nsit Ubium LGA.

“On March 7, 2016 our team of detectives attached to the Area Command apprehended one Etini Christopher Solomon “M” of Ikot Ufen village in Abak LGA, who specialised on printing and selling fake recharged cards to members of public.

“On interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime; a search was conducted and… recharge cards were recovered on his possession,” he said.

The commissioner listed the recharge cards recovered to include MTN, N 71,600; Airtel, N105,800; Etisalat, N39,900, and Glo, N36,300, totalling N253,300.

According to him, Solomon confessed to the police that Joseph was the person that gave him the code and flash drive to enable him print the recharge cards.

Confessing to the crime, one of the suspects, Solomon said he bought the recharge cards from Joseph and that he did not know that the cards where fake.

“I bought the product from this man (Joseph), I did not know the product was invalid.  It was on March 5, that I gave him N25,000,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CP also revealed the arrest and recovery of cash from two suspected robbery gang, who used tricycle to rob innocent victims in Akwa Ibom.

He said the arrested persons include Benson Udo, 54 from Etinan LGA and Enefiok Essien, 38 from Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, and specialised on robbing passengers that board their tricycle and also raped their female victims.

The police commissioner advised members of the public to beware of the types of vehicles they board, especially at night to avoid falling victim to criminals.