72 DRUGS dealers have been arrested by the Edo State branch of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) involving the conviction of two drug dealers and counselled 80 others with drug abuse problem.
The commander, Mr. Buba Wakawa who disclosed these yesterday in Benin lamented the rising cases of the involvement of school age children in drug trafficking and abuse in the state.
Wakawa who spoke at the presentation of the first quarter report of the command said that sixteen of the detainees are between the ages of 15 and 24 years.
This according to the commander is a wake-up call for parents and other stakeholders to intensify the campaign against drug abuse.
The commander said that the suspected traffickers who included 48 males and 24 females were arrested with 6,645kg of drugs.
According to him, the seized drugs included 6,644.57kg of cannabis, 401 tablets of Tramadol, 645 tablets of Rophynol, 24 grammms of cocaine, 534 gramms of Amphetamine and 30 bottles of codeine syrup.
He added that 2.54373 hectares of cannabis farms were located and destroyed.
Wakawa disclosed that some of the farms were located in Usen and Ugbogui in Ovia South West Local Government Area and Uromi in Esan South West Local Government Area. Vehicles impounded include one Toyota Sienna ash colour with registration number Ondo AKR 384 AL and ash colour Nissan Sunny car with registration number Lagos LND 898 BL.
Breakdown of monthly arrests and seizures are as follows; January 26 arrests with 1,035.11kg of drugs; February 33 arrests with 584.75kg of drugs and March 13 arrests with 5,025.27kg of drugs.
Twenty-eight suspects fall within 25 to 34 years; sixteen suspects fall within 15 to 24 years and 34 to 44 years respectively while six suspects fall within 45 to 54 years.
Edo State indigenes are the highest among the suspects with a total of 30, Delta is next with 26 while three each are from Benue and Ondo. Katsina and Anambra States had two each while Ekiti, Plateau, Ania, Cross River, Ebonyi and Kogi States had one each.
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