202 suspects arrested as police storm brothels, drug dens

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested 202 people during a coordinated operation targeting suspected criminal hideouts, brothels and illicit drug locations across the Asaba metropolis.

The operation, carried out on Saturday following intelligence reports, also led to the seizure of several vehicles found to have breached traffic regulations and state transport restrictions.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday. He said the exercise was coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, working with other officers of the command.

According to Edafe, the operation followed information supplied by the State Intelligence Department (SID), prompting officers to move against locations identified as criminal black spots.

He said, “Acting on credible intelligence generated by the State Intelligence Department (SID), the operatives raided identified black spots, brothels and suspected illicit drug dens in Asaba metropolis.”

Edafe added that the exercise formed part of the command’s ongoing efforts to tackle criminal activities and improve security across the state.

He stated: “The operation resulted in the arrest of 202 suspects, comprising 102 males and 100 females, for offences bordering on operating brothels, possession and sale of suspected illicit drugs, and other related crimes.

“The operatives also impounded five (5) motor vehicles, ten (10) tricycles, and ten (10) motorcycles for violations of extant traffic regulations, the state-imposed restriction on tricycle operations, and the ban on motorcycles in designated areas.”

The Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led policing and continue operations aimed at tackling crime in the state.

He reiterated “the Command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing and sustained enforcement operations against all forms of criminality.”

The commissioner also assured residents that “the Command will continue to deny criminal elements the space to operate”, while encouraging members of the public to remain vigilant and provide the police with credible and timely information.