Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have busted a notorious car theft syndicate and arrested a witch doctor alongside 25 others.
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They also recovered 17 cars stolen in the state from the suspects.

Parading them at the Police Command on Moscow road yesterday, the state police commissioner, Olatunji Disu, said operatives arrested the two gang leaders identified as Chidozie Anthony Onyekwe and Kelechi Uzogwe, who buy stolen cars from Port Harcourt and take them to Mgbuka Obosi and Onitsha in Anambra State where they cut them into pieces and sell as scraps.

Disu said a total of 79 stolen cars have been linked to Onyekwe’s group, adding that most of the criminals are ex-convicts who met in the Correctional Centre.

According to him, the car thieves roam around the state with spare and master keys to steal the cars, and thereafter take them to Uzogwe, who immobile the trackers and sells the vehicles before they are taken to Onitsha.
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The CP added that their modus operandi to evade arrest was to use the vehicles to carry passengers as inter-state operators.

Speaking to newsmen, Disu said one of their native doctors has been arrested too.

“Before they embark on their business, they consult him and he tells them the day that is good for them to go out and steal these vehicles.

“Most of the vehicles are here, others have been returned to their rightful owners,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, the prime suspect, Onyekwe told The Guardian that he has been in the business for two years but was lured into it because of his mother’s ailment.

He said he buys the cars for N250, 000 and sells them for N450, 000, regretting that crime does not pay.

He said: “I am not the kingpin. I buy from them. When I buy it, I take it to Onitsha to sell. So, I do not know anything like kingpin. I buy from Uzogwe and one Tommy. They are the ones that normally give me these stolen cars. The prices depend on the state and make of the car.

“I bought up to 15 vehicles. All the cars are from Rivers State and I sold all of them at Onitsha where they are butchered.”

On his part, Uzogwe, a car mechanic from Abia State, denied responsibility for disassembling car trackers, saying although he knew the cars were stolen, he helps to fix those with mechanical issues and does nothing with the electric aspect.
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