File photo
Kano State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Thursday, said it has arrested no fewer than 565 suspected illicit drug dealers in the state.
The State Commander, Ibrahim Abdul who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in the state in commemoration of 2020 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, said of the suspects arrested were 16 females.
Abdul continued when he said that the command had also seized over 7 tonnes of illicit drugs from the possession of the suspects.
According to him, “From June 2019 to date, we apprehended 565 suspects out of which 16 were females. “We seized illicit drugs of a total quantity of over 7tonnes which statistics show that cannabis has the highest quality of 4.3 kilograms of Cannabis Savita, 699.213 kilograms of Psychotropic, 87 kilograms of cocaine and eight kilograms of Heroin.
“Within the period, the command had seized a vehicle loaded with compressed suspected dried weed of Cannabis sativa weighing 283 kilograms at Wudil, on transit to Bauchi State.
“Our team conducted a very concerted sting Operation along Kano-Zaria road, where a Toyota Sequoia jeep was intercepted, and two suspects were arrested with 300 blocks of compressed Cannabis Savita weighing 223 kilograms.
“It is also worthy to note that, a syndicate of Baron dealing in Cocaine was unbundled by our team, where a male and female suspects were apprehended with cocaine weighing 100 grams.
“We have so far secured the conviction of 85 suspects, while six cases are still pending before the Federal High Court in Kano. “During the period under review, 34 regular clients were counseled and rehabilitated, while 723 suspects were referred for brief intervention.
“NDLEA in Kano is working tirelessly in ensuring that the menace of drug trafficking is curtailed. “The lockdown period witnessed an appreciable synergy between the command and other security agencies in Kano. Many arrests and seizure were transferred to the command by the Police, Custom and other vigilante groups,” Abdul said.
The State Commander, however, highlighted some of the challenges faced by the command as shortage of manpower, shortage of logistics, inadequate facilities to accommodate addicts that require counselling and rehabilitation as some of their challenges, and inadequate community participation in fighting against drug abuse and trafficking.
