RRS arrest NURTW leader who trade in phones stolen from robbery and kidnap victims

Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have
arrested a National Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW) leader, for allegedly buying
over 4,256 stolen phones, The Nation reports.
The suspect identified as Kazeem Bamidele aka
Elewure , vice chairman of Ajegunle NURTW,
reportedly told the RRS that he gets over 38
"clean" phones every week from over 52 persons,
who specialise in pick pocketing and one-chance
operations across the state.
According to The Nation, the 42-year-old
suspect was traced to his shop at Boundary
Market in Ajegunle and arrested after RRS
Intelligence team caught two people using stolen
phones in Kogi State.
The two suspects were arrested in connection
with a kidnapping and robbery in Lagos. It was
gathered that Elewure sold two Blackberry Z10
and CAT phones the suspects stole from their
victims. Five phones were recovered from him.
Elewure was quoted by RRS as saying: "I have
over 52 boys who sell clean stolen mobile phones
to me. On the average, I receive 38 ‘clean’
phones in a week. I have been in the business
for more than two years. Boundary Market in
Ajegunle, where I have office and shop, is
where they sell the phones to me and that is
where the buyers equally get them. I know they
are stolen phones. Nearly every guy in Ajegunle
is involved in this kind of runs. I buy Infinix
Hot 2 at N10,000 and sell N12,000; Blackberry
Z30 at N20,000 and sell at N22,000; Infinix Hot
Note at N15,000 and sell at N17,000 and
Samsung Galaxy X3 at N11,000 and sell at
N14,000. I don’t buy iPhone because of its
locking system.
RRS further disclosed that some of the phones
traced to Elewure were that of high profile
members of the society, including celebrities and
he had provide information that would lead to
the arrest of his boys, who mostly lodge in
hotels
Police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a
Superintendent (SP), said investigation is
ongoingadding that the case, has been
transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad
(SARS)
Source: The Nation