The Department of State Security (DSS), in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State has apprehended a man, Mr. Cletus Onwe, suspected to have duped several unsuspecting customers of inter-state transport company, Peace Mass Transit (PMT).
The DSS operatives had discretely monitored the suspect, Onwe, who claimed he hailed from Ebonyi State, following complaints from PMT management that several of its customers had been duped by the suspect who regularly posed as logistics staff of the company.
He was also accused of diverting parcels meant for dispatch to various destinations, after also ripping off owners of properties of huge sums of money supposedly as official charges.
Confirmed reports have exposed his modus operandi which included infiltrating PMT depots in different locations across the country, taking photographs of himself in the general areas, and posting same online, ostensibly to give the impression to his victims, that he was a genuine PMT logistics staff.
It has not been determined how long he had been involved in this scam, or how much victims had lost to him in cash and valuables, but it has been estimated to run into several millions of Naira.
Following credible intelligence, he was subsequently tracked to Uyo where he was eventually apprehended by detectives last week.
It is not yet clear whether he acted alone or belongs to any criminal gang.
The General Manager of PMT, Nnamdi Asadu, said the arrest of Onwe was a welcome relief to the company, while regretting that the suspect had done incalculable damage to the reputation of the company through his criminal enterprise.
“Several of our customers had lost money and valuables, having fallen prey to the antics of this unrepentant, unscrupulous person.
“We trust our staff and the system as full proof, but complaints kept coming that some criminal imposter were infiltrating the system and acting without authority and actively sabotaging the system.
“This made us to go all out to track him and burst the criminal set-up!
“Our valued customers are hereby assured that we shall do everything necessary to protect our name and the integrity we have invested so much to maintain since inception”, he assured.
After thorough investigations, the DSS is expected to transfer the suspect to the police for prosecution.
