A crackdown on crime declared by the Benue State Police Command yielded result Saturday when the command nabbed a notorious recruitment syndicate in Makurdi, the state capital, impersonating the Nigeria Navy and duping unsuspecting members of the public.

Arrested also were various armed robbery gangs.

According to the state Commissioner of Police, Kakwe Chris Katso, the fake naval personnel were running a fake recruitment exercise with the claim that they were from the Navy unit when luck ran out on them and were apprehended.

"The members of the syndicate were collecting N100, 000 each from their victims on the pretense that they were recruiting for the Navy," he said.

One of the victims, Mr. Emmanuel Ochigbo, told THISDAY that he paid the syndicate N100,000 to process his recruitment into the Navy following an approach by a member of the group.

Leader of the group, a former naval rating, said he was dismissed from the force in 2011 but had to impersonate to make quick money

Meanwhile, the police also paraded 20 persons over various other crimes.

Police spokesman in the state, Emeka Ezeala, disclosed that various dangerous weapons were recovered from the gang, adding, "The command had declared an all-out war against violent crimes in any part of the state, and I can sincerely tell you that we are not joking about it because Benue will continue to remain very hot for any criminally minded person."