The Federal Capital Territory's (FCT) Police Command says it has taken 307 individuals into custody after raiding certain criminal hideouts located along the Dei-Dei-Zuba axis.

This was disclosed at a press briefing on Monday in Abuja by Mr. Benneth Igweh, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory.

He said that when he led the command's tactical squad to raid the hideouts on Sunday, the suspects—293 men and 14 women—were taken into custody.

Igweh said that the team consisted of members of the recently launched "Operation Velvet," which was designed to raid designated "black spots" inside the area.

The suspects were apprehended at a designated blackspot in the Dei-Dei-Zuba axis known as "Gidan Dambe," where kidnappers from Niger, Kaduna, and other communities typically congregate to unwind.

One English pistol and fifteen rounds of live ammunition were retrieved from one of the suspects, who claimed to be an employee of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Igweh further stated that the suspects had motorbikes, illegal substances, including what seemed to be Indian hemp, various cell phones, and other potentially lethal weapons taken from them.

The CP assured the general public that once the screening and investigations were over, the suspects will face charges in court, while warning residents of the FCT who were running illegal businesses in "Gidan Dambe" to stop harbouring criminals or prepare to face legal action.