Two out of a three-man robbery squad have been arrested by the Surveillance Unit of the criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Imo State Police Command in Owerri.
The robbers were apprehended after allegedly robbing one of their victim, however the money was recovered from them in full.
The robbery group specialise in robbing bank customers, while they also reportedly cut master keys to steal people’s cars.
The arrest, happened on Wednesday at Ikenegbu Layout after the victim had withdrawn money from a bank.
Chris Ezike the state commissioner of police, who verified the incident, said the N450,000 belonging to the victim was recovered from the suspects.
Ezike, who gave the names of the armed robbery suspects as Isaac Onwuguzo (45) from Umuoma-Ndegwu, Irette in the Owerri West Local Government Area; and Anyahie Ehirim (36), a native of Umuaka in the Njaba LGA of the state, said a Toyota Camry car with registration number EPE 44 ET was also recovered from them.
“The Surveillance Team, while on patrol along Okigwe road, got a tip-off that a man who withdrew N500,000 from a bank was trailed from the bank to Jevnik Junction, Ikenegbu, where he had made a brief stop.
“While the car was parked, the suspects used the master-key to open it, removed the money and drove off in an ash colour Camry car.
“Our men gave them a hot chase and in the process of escaping, the robbers had an accident with another vehicle and our men rounded them up immediately.
“A master key, cash of N450,000 and the car the suspects used for the robbery were recovered.”
Ezike said the suspects would be charged to the court pending the end of the investigation.