The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Edo state command has arrested 29 suspected drug traffickers.
The state commander of the agency, Mr Buba Wakawa, disclosed this in an interview in Benin on Tuesday.
Wakawa said the suspects, comprising 23 males and six females, were arrested in November.
He said the suspects were in possession of about 3,756.82kg of narcotics at the time of their arrests.
The commander said the bulk of the seized drugs were cannabis commonly referred to as marijuana.
He stated that one of the suspects said the love for money led him into the criminal act.
“I was a commercial motorcyclist until things became very bad that I could not afford my house rent and feeding.
“A friend of mine took me to Sobe to farm cannabis. He said ‘I will make enough money to settle myself and my family’. However, my story is different.
“The first year was poor and the second year, thieves and bush fire destroyed my harvest.
“This year, I decided to bring my harvest home, but unfortunately, NDLEA officers arrested me and seized my drug,” the commander quoted the suspect to have said.
He said the suspect from Ondo state is married with a child. He was found in possession of 684kg of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis and he would soon be charged to court.
The Edo commander also stated that the state command had inaugurated a special patrol squad to tackle illicit cases of drug trafficking and abuse.
He said the strategic approach was aimed at intensifying surveillance operations to cut off illicit movement of narcotics as the end of year festive season approaches.
“What we have done is to constitute a team of officers to beef up patrol thereby making the command more dynamic and vibrant in tackling the problem of drugs in Edo.
“This is a season where the love of money lures many people into criminal activities, including drug trafficking.
“That is why we are poised to intercept the movement of drugs before they get to the final users.
“Cutting off the supply of drugs is a vital strategy in preventing drug and substance abuse in our society,” Wakawa said. (NAN)
