The Bayelsa Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 50 suspected drug traffickers between January and June, the state Commandant, Mr Frank Ihenacho, said last week.

Reviewing the command’s activities in the first half of the year, Ihenacho told newsmen in Yenagoa that the command also made a total seizure of 89.358 kg of different hard drugs during the period.

He said that out of the figure, the most commonly abused hard drug was marijuana, with more than 83 kg seized, while more than 6.0 kg of cocaine and heroin was seized.

Ihenacho also said that 42 of those arrested were males, while eight were females, including a mother of nine.

He further said that the command had concluded plans to go to schools to educate youths on the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking.

The commandant cautioned against the consumption of the concoction popularly known as “Monkey Tail”, explaining that “it contains cannabis with other chemicals and poses a threat to life.”

Monkey Tail is the mixture of local gin with raw leaves of Indian hemp, commonly sold by alcohol vendors by the roadsides in Yenagoa.

Ihenacho said the command was working toward a drug-free second half of the year and added that “anyone caught trafficking or using hard drugs will be arrested and prosecuted.”