Edo NDLEA arrests 3 suspects with truckload of psychotropic substances

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Edo on Monday announced the arrest of three men with a truckload of suspected psychotropic substances valued at millions of naira. Mr Buba Wakawa, the State Commander of the agency, made the disclosure in Benin during a media briefing. Wakawa disclosed that the arrest was made last Friday at Ewu, Esan Central Local Government Area of the state. He said that the truck loaded in Onitsha, Anambra State, was headed to Kebbi, before it was intercepted by personnel of the agency. The commander said substances comprising 394,480 capsules and 3,000 tablets weighed 441.027 Kilogrammes. He said the substances included tramadol weighing 83.707 kilogrammes; 647,500 tablets of Exol-5 weighing 203.315 kilogrammes and 12,500 tablets of diazepam weighing 2.05 kilogrammes. Also in the truck was 1,500 tablets of suspected bromazepan, weighing 0.45 kilogrammes; and 999 bottles of suspected codeine-based syrup, weighing 134.865 kilogrammes. The state commander further said 4,000 ampoules of suspected pentazocine injection weighing 16.64 kilogrammes was also found in the truck. Wakawa noted that the seizure was one of the biggest made on psychotropic substances in the history of the command. He stressed that the agency was concerned about the effect of the substances on the health of their consumers. “I have always said that there is a strong correlation between drug abuse and crimes. “We are very worried about the destination of these substances seized, because of insecurity in the country particularly banditry in the North-West. “Here you have these substances going to Kebbi state, one of the states engulfed by banditry. “You can imagine what will happen when these substances get there and are consumed peradventure by bandits,” he said. He appealed to the media to join hands with the agency in the campaign against drug abuse, adding that collectively the tide could be stemmed.