No fewer than 65 suspected drug traffickers have been apprehended by the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Command also seized a total of 4,582.57 kilograms of narcotic drugs.
The State Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Buba Wakawa who made the disclosure Tuesday in Benin, said the arrests and seizures were made between July and September 2019.
The Suspects consist of 39 males and 26 females.
Cannabis accounts for the bulk of the seized drugs, with 4,561. 57kg, while psychotropic substances account for 1.02kg.
According to the NDLEA official, 28 suspects were arrested, 442.61kg of drugs seized in July; 11 suspects arrested, with 452.36kg of drugs seized in August, while 26 were arrested and 3,687.60kg of drugs seized in September.
“Within the period under review, the Command discovered and destroyed 11 farms measuring 5.191335 hectares. The farms are estimated to yield 1,7041.80kg of cannabis.
“Most of the suspects are from Edo and Delta States. 35 of them, representing 53.85 percent are from Edo State, while 13 of them, representing 20 percent, are from Delta State.
A total of 24 drug-dependent persons were successfully counseled by the Command and reunited with their families,” Wakawa said.
Age distribution of the arrested suspects ranged from 15 years 65 years.
Wakawa said, “the Command will continue to work very hard to reduce the problem of drug production, trafficking and abuse in the State.”