Anambra State Special Taskforce Against Touting And Illegal Revenue Agents jointly led by the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Honourable Uche Okafor, and Commissioner for Transport, Honourable Afam Mbanefo, as well as other officials have arrested some fake revenue agents around Upper Iweka and Onitsha-Owerri Road axis.
Speaking after the exercise. the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Honourable Uchenna Okafor, disclosed that they apprehended over 28 suspected illegal revenue collectors.
He also revealed that they had earlier, at various times, handed over about 14, 3 and 35 of them to security agents, adding that the suspects are turning in information on their sponsors which will aid their eventual arrests.
Commissioner Okafor said those suspects would be charged to court.
He advised those illegal revenue collectors to retrace their steps as their activities only result in chasing away customers coming to do business in Anambra State while traders are complaining bitterly.
The Commissioner who noted that the culprits could be engaging in such fraudulent acts out of frustration, poor background and environmental influence, noted that Governor Willie Obiano, being a sympathetic leader with human feelings, is seeking ways to repackage them, reintegrate them into the society and get them employed to help them move away from the streets and earn decent living.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Transport, Honourable Afam Mbanefo, said the exercise was the second dislodge in the first phase of the operation, adding that the exercise had been successful.
He said they went through Onitsha, Oba, Nnewi, and Enugu Ukwu, disclosing that in some places they went to, they found out that some of the illegal revenue collectors either did not have tickets at all or were issuing unauthorised tickets and grabbing money from mini buses, drivers and commuters.
The Transport Commissioner pointed out that the Governor gave them the mandate to check those excesses, pledging that they are doing everything legally, and would definitely succeed.
On bringing the sponsors of the illegal acts to book, Honourable Mbanefo hinted that they are formulating strategies to arrest the kingpins as well as individuals and companies printing the tickets without authorization.
He warned that in the next couple of days, they would be clamping down on those printers.
