Inside the Operation: Police Bust Gang Stealing Cars with Fabricated Keys
The Bauchi State Police Command has apprehended three members of a four-man syndicate specializing in robbing bank customers and using fabricated master keys to access vehicles. The suspects—Mustapha Bukar (42), Mustapha Abubakar (47), and Habibu Tijjani (30)—targeted individuals across Bauchi, Borno, and Kano states.
Their modus operandi involved monitoring bank customers who withdrew substantial amounts of money, trailing them, and using locally fabricated master keys, known as ‘Chori,’ to gain unauthorized access to vehicles and properties. The gang leader remains at large.
In a related incident, the Sokoto State Police Command arrested Austin Anthony, a suspect posing as a military officer, for car theft. Items recovered from him included fabricated master keys, multiple vehicle keys, and military paraphernalia. The suspect confessed to the crime, leading to the recovery of additional stolen vehicles and the arrest of an accomplice.