Five arrested as troops bust illegal arms factories in Plateau

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have busted two illegal arms manufacturing factories in Vom, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, arresting five suspects and recovering fabricated rifles and industrial equipment during a coordinated raid operation.

The disclosure which was contained in a statement signed by Polycarp Oteh, the spokesperson of (OPEP) and made available to Journalists on Friday in Jos said it was the outcome of the operation conducted by troops of the Quick Response Force on Thursday.

“The operation which was the result of a highly intensified, comprehensive human intelligence gathering and strategic surveillance led to the discovery of two illegal arms manufacturing sites,” the statement said.

“During the precision operation, troops arrested five suspects caught in the act of fabricating lethal weapons while a comprehensive search of the sites led to recovery of significant cache of weaponry and industrial equipment,” the statement added.

It said recovered items included nine fabricated AK-47 rifles, one locally fabricated pistol, four empty AK-47 magazines, seven skeletal AK-47 rifles and 10 rifle butts allegedly linked to the illegal factories.

OPEP said troops also recovered 36 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition, four revolver engines, 14 recoiling springs, six hand drilling machines, nine filing machines, four welding machines and other industrial equipment allegedly used for weapon fabrication.

The statement further disclosed that the suspects and recovered items are currently in custody for further investigation. It added that troops are sustaining covert operations to mop up illegal arms already in circulation, while urging residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.