THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has burst a cannabis trafficking syndicate, arrested seven suspects and seizing 2,249kg of cannabis popularly known as Indian Hemp.
Edo State Commander of NDLEA, Buba Wakawa, made the disclosure in Benin City, stating that the syndicate used Okpuje forest in Owan West Local Government Area of the State as operational base.
He said four large cannabis warehouses, with a total of two hundred and thirty-three thousand, seven hundred and seventy-eight kilograms ( 233,778kg) of the dried weeds with an estimated street value of over 1.4 billion naira.
Giving the breakdown of the drugs, Wakawa said, 318 bags of 80kg each weighing 25,440kg, 15,853 bags of 13kg weighing 206,089kg, were seized, asserting that the total quantity seized was 2,249kg and others weighing 231,529kg were destroyed at the farm.
““We took delivery of two new Hilux operational vehicles presented to the command last week.
“This is the first assignment of the vehicles and it turned out to be the best for the command.
“We are grateful to the chairman, and this is a clear warning that there is no room for drug barons in the State.
“They planted, watered, harvested and processed the drug only for us to dispossessed them of their labour because their action is criminal.
“The warehouses are located in the heart of the forest, yet we were able to uncover them based on intelligence gathering.
“The cannabis warehouses were located at Okpuje forest in Owan West Local Government Area of the State.
“The community is notorious for cannabis cultivation and trafficking as well as attacks on law enforcement officers, stood still as a combined team of NDLEA and combatant military personnel overran the drug trafficking syndicates due to our superior fire power.” Wakawa said.
He added that seven suspects arrested during the operation included the chairman of vigilante in Ukpuje, Emmanuel Oki, 62 years, Chief Odi Sabato, 42 years and Bright Inemi Edegbe, 53 years.
Others are Gowon Ehimigbai, 53 years, Enodi Ode, 37 years, Ayo Oni, 30 years and Akhime Benjamin, 43 years.
The suspects, he added, would be investigated and the case charged to court soon.
The joint team of NDLEA and Army officers that carried out the raid had a strength of 80 personnel, while the operation that lasted from Thursday night through Friday night February 5, 2021 was jointly coordinated by the Officer in charge of Strike Force, James Olarewaju, the Principal Staff Officer Operations, Bisong Peter and Captain Abdullahi Abukori.
Wakawa thanked the Four Brigade Commander in Benin City, Brigadier General, M. A. Sadik, for the logistics and personnel assistance that led to the successful clampdown on the cannabis syndicates in the area.
