The Imo State Police Command has nabbed three officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and two from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for allegedly harassing and extorting civilians in the state.

The spokesman for the command, ASP Henry Okoye, made this known to newsmen on Tuesday in Owerri.

Among those arrested was a 37-year-old police Inspector for the same offence.

He alleged that the suspects were notorious for extorting unsuspecting civilians, especially the youths in Owerri, using point-of-sale machines.

“These are security operatives hiding under the umbrella of Operation Search and Flush in Imo, harassing and extorting unsuspecting members of the public, in particular the youths, to the tune of thousands of naira.

“They use POS, seize and check the phones of their victims, thereby bringing untold hardship to them,” he added.

Okoye assured the public that action would be expedited to conclude the investigation and bring the suspects to justice.