The NDLEA also said the command confiscated illicit drug weighing 81.95 kilogrammes from suspects in the state.
The State Commander, NDLEA, Mr Abdullahi Abdul, made this known on Monday at a press conference held at the agency’s secretariat in Yenagoa, the state capital.
Abdul, who said the arrests and seizures were carried out between January and June this year, added that those arrested were 85 males and 38 females.
According to the state commander, a breakdown of the seizures indicated that cannabis was 74.615 kg, cocaine 0.011kg, heroin 0.059kg, and psychotropic drug 7.265kg.
He said during the period under review, the command was able to convict three drug suspects, one male and two females with various prison terms ranging from 18 to 20 months.
He stated that another seven suspects, two females and five males were being remanded in prison custody for various drug trafficking offences.
Abdul said, “In Bayelsa State, the major thing that worries us here is the use of psychotropic substances which are mostly abused by youths.
We are trying our best to curtail the usage of these substances and within the last six months, we were able to arrest 123 suspects.
“We were able to counsel a total of 41 suspects, while five chronic drug users were completely rehabilitated by the Drug Demand Addiction Unit of the command. In the process of the counselling, we involved medical doctors and other medical personnel to ensure full rehabilitation.”
He added that the major handicap of the command in the state was logistics that would enable the agency to cover all the nooks and cranies of the state, particularly the coastal areas and the hinterland.
Abdul, however, said that the agency was working assiduously with the state government to facilitate their operations in every part of the state.
“Drug abuse is an issue that concerns everybody in the society, we need to work together to make the society safe for everyone,” he stated.
and then