NDLEA Arrests 60 Suspects In Imo Over 646.6kg Of Drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested 60 drug suspects, made up of 55 males and five females in Imo State between January and June, 2021.
The seized drugs are Cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and tramadol while the suspects arrested were between the ages of 17 and 60 years.
Briefing news men last Friday on this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse/Illicit Drug Trafficking, the Imo State Narcotics Commander, Mr  Nse Inam, added that the Federal Government Special Boarder Task Force also transferred 4,784kg of Cannabis sativa to the state command.
Inam, an Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, further said that eight convictions secured various jail terms, pointing out that the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria strike affected the prosecution of the affected persons.
He said, “15 drug-addicted person admitted, two persons were successfully rehabilitated and discharged while five others were terminated for various reasons. Drug education, sanitisation and public enlightenment were also carried out at Imo State University, Trinity High School, Oguta, Emmanuel College Owerri and St Silas Anglican Church, Amawire Uratta, among others”.
He recalled that 90 suspects comprising 79 male and 11 female were arrested in 2020, adding that 744.227kg of hard drugs were equally seized.
He declared, “Drug abuse and trafficking portend serious danger to any society. For us to tackle the problems of insecurity, we have to take the issue of drugs and trafficking serious.
He vowed to beam the agency’s searchlight on the activities of patent medicine dealers and their likes with a view to ensuring that they did not continue to be one active channels for the dispensations or sale of illicit substances to the society.  

By: Joe Nwachukwu, Owerri