Cross River Police Smash Motorcycle Theft Ring as Five Suspects Are Arrested

(Police. Photo by Premuim Times)

Police in Cross River State have busted a theft ring that was stealing motorcycles and tricycles from Akwa Ibom State and selling them off locally.

Officers arrested five men and got back five stolen vehicles two motorcycles and three tricycles.

The trouble started when police got a tip about a gang moving stolen bikes between the two states.

The first arrest came on August 31st when Effiong Archibong Sunday, 28, was picked up with one motorcycle.

When police questioned him, he pointed them to others in the gang.

A man called Elewe was apparently the one stealing the bikes from Akwa Ibom, while someone named Efefiong in Cross River was buying them and reselling them.

Acting on that information, officers went back out at 3am the next morning and grabbed four more men: Archibong Archibong Nsa, 36; Okon Eyo Nsa, 75; Essien Ukpong, 60; and Nsa Essien Eyo, 24.

Searches at places connected to them turned up the remaining stolen vehicles.

A police spokesman said they're still working to figure out who actually owned the vehicles before they were stolen and to find anyone else involved in the scheme.

He noted that all the suspects remain innocent until a court proves otherwise.

The Police Commissioner called on owners of motorcycles and tricycles to report thefts quickly and give police any information they have.

He also warned the public not to take justice into their own hands or harass people they think might be criminals.