The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a syndicate that specialised in swindling filling stations of millions of money with fake alerts.

Already, a member of the syndicate is in police custody helping them on how to arrest other members of the syndicate who are on the run.

Giving a graphic account of how the syndicate was cracked, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspect was arrested by operatives of Isheri Police Division.

He said the police received complaint on May 17, 2023, at about 2.30pm, from the Manager of Enyo Filling Station, located along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, that a man, who was later identified as Anthony Ofikwu, and others now at large, were in the habit of buying fuel at the filling station with fake bank alerts.

Hundeyin said: “The complainant alleged that whenever the syndicate visited, their members would, in addition to fake bank alerts, ask for cash transfers, and all the transactions would later be reverted to them within minutes. Detectives were mobilised to the scene where the suspect was intercepted and taken to the station. During interrogation, however, he allegedly confessed to being a member of a fraud syndicate, defrauding filling stations.

“A total of 13 different bank ATM debit cards bearing different names were recovered from him. He equally admitted defrauding Enyo Filling Station to the tune of N5.1 million since their operations started. The suspect is presently detained at the Isheri Police Station, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate who are at large, after which we shall charge them to court.”