The Rivers State Police Command says its operatives have dismantled a car theft syndicate and arrested four suspects linked to the crime.

The command also recovered several stolen vehicles.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Blessing Agabe.

According to the statement, the syndicate specialised in buying and selling stolen vehicles in different parts of Rivers State.

Agabe said the breakthrough followed the arrest of one Paul Nwabueze Jude, who had been on the run over an earlier reported vehicle theft case.

“On 10th April 2026 at approximately 17:50 hours, acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the command Violent Crime Response Unit arrested one Paul Nwabueze Jude, male, 46 years, a resident of Ogbogoro Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State,” the statement read.

The police said Jude had previously escaped arrest after one of his accomplices, Uju Molokai, was arrested in November 2025, while a stolen Toyota Hilux in his possession was recovered.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to involvement in the earlier crime and several other vehicle theft operations.

Following the confession and further intelligence gathering, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested three other members of the syndicate.

The suspects were identified as Dike Micheal, Uzomba Darlington, and Emyinnaya Eugene.

Police said investigations showed that the group operated as a network that stole vehicles and sold them to buyers.

Items recovered from the suspects included two Toyota Hilux vehicles and three Toyota Sienna buses.

“Investigations further revealed the existence of a key receiver of the stolen vehicles, who is believed to have additional stolen cars. Efforts are ongoing to arrest this individual and recover all other stolen vehicles in his possession,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to remain vigilant and adopt security measures to protect their vehicles and other property.

He advised vehicle owners to install tracking and anti-theft devices and avoid leaving valuables exposed inside unattended vehicles.

Adepoju also encouraged members of the public to promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station, noting that timely information is critical in preventing crime.