Operatives of the Anti-Vice Unit attached to the Imo State Police Command have dismantled a syndicate and arrested two suspects over alleged involvement in burglary and phone theft.

The command spokesperson, Henry Okoye, in a statement on Friday, said the suspected shop burglar was caught with four new stolen phones while his accomplice altering phone IMEI numbers, was also nabbed.

Mr Okoye said, “Following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop in Eziobodo was burgled on July 11, 2025, operatives of the Anti-Vice Unit arrested a suspect in possession of four brand-new stolen phones. Investigations led to the arrest of the principal burglar and another accomplice who specialized in altering phone IMEI numbers to evade tracking. All suspects are in custody, and efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate are ongoing.’’

Mr Okoye also stated that officers of the Orji Police Station on Thursday arrested a suspected cultist and nabbed four members of his criminal gang on Friday, for armed robbery in Owerri, stating that they all confessed to committing the crimes.

He stated, “In a different development, operatives of Orji Police Station on July 31, 2025, at about 2100hrs, arrested one Ernest Nweke ‘m’ at Bishop’s Court Roundabout, Owerri North LGA, following a distress call from concerned citizens.”

The command added that the suspect, a native of Umuoji in the Ngor Okpala LGA and resident of World Bank Owerri, was arrested with a locally fabricated pistol after he and three others robbed one Emmanuel Feargod of Fountain of Knowledge Hostel.

He stated, “Nweke, who confessed to being a member of the Vikings cult group, was identified by the victim and arrested while the others fled. Based on his confession, four other suspects: Chamberlain Prince, Akujuobi Godwin, Ugwuelu Joseph, and Frederick Chigozie were arrested the next morning and also confessed to the crime. All suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be duly prosecuted in court.”

Commending the officers for their swift action, the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, while reaffirming his command’s commitment to fighting crime, urged residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.