Police Nab Notorious Stolen Phones Merchant

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), an arm of the Lagos State Police command on Sunday said the have arrested a notorious phone dealer, identified as Yusuph Da-Silva, who specialized in buying mobile phones from armed robbers, cultists and pickpockets operating in Ogun and Lagos States.

The police said he buys over 30 phones a week and made between N25,000 and N30,000 daily from buying and selling robbed phones.

Eyes Of Lagos gathered that after almost three months of relentless hunt, the suspect was last week Wednesday arrested by the Decoy Team of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) over a robbery incident around Ifako-Ijaiye, where mobile phones, laptops and other valuables were carted away at gun point.

The phone dealer, Yusuph Da-Silva, 28, popularly called ‘Da-Gold’ in Computer Village, Ikeja and Ifako Ijaiye, had been on the run after police began a crackdown on the robbery gangs supplying him mobile phones.

The suspect also confessed to have maintained links with three-armed robbery gangs who constantly supplied him with stolen phones and other valuables after their operations.

The first gang consist of Abiodun Tajudeen (a.k.a Shalori) Drey, and Moshood Akinwande (a.k.a Orobo) who rob with a bike. The second gang, AY and his cohort; and the third gang is led by ‘Idaso’ and his boys.

They are all notorious armed robbery gangs that specialize in robbing people at gun point around Fagba, Iju Ishaga, Oke Aro and Ifako areas.

He sold the phones in Computer Village Ikeja and shipped some to Kwara, Osun and Oyo States to make tracking of the stolen phones difficult for security operatives to retrieve if investigated.

Abiodun Tajudeen (a.k.a. Shalori) and Moshood Akinwande (a.k.a. Orobo), had sold some phones and other valuables to Da-Gold early this year which is the cause of his present arrest.

Investigations by the police revealed that both Tajudeen and Akinwande are presently in police custody over different robbery cases.

Also in his confessional Statement, Da-Gold said “police crack team in Magbon arrested AY’s gang who linked me as the receiver of all their stolen phones and I was arrested. The Police later recovered about seven smart phones from me.”

After the Magbon arrest, “I resulted to wearing hooded sweatshirts” which I use to disguise to avoid security agents from identifying him as many more investigations has turned its search light on the Ikeja computer Village ‘Big Boy.”

“I have different colours and designs of the hooded sweatshirt and I often avoid some areas to avoid getting arrested while I continue my business.”

Eyes Of Lagos Sources disclosed that Da-Gold stayed in Fagba Railway Line where he bought the robbed mobile phones before ferrying them to Computer Village, Ikeja, to sell them to retailers anxiously waiting for him.