The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Bayelsa State Command, said it had arrested 140 drug traffickers and seized 404.411 kilogrammes of different types of narcotics in the state.

The agency’s Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs, Mr. Ikenna Osakwe, said in a statement that the agency achieved the feat in its operations in 2015.

Osakwe said of the 140 suspected drug traffickers, 124 were males while 16 were females.


 
The agency’s spokesman noted that majority of the suspects arrested were between the ages of 24 and 45 years, indicating that those who trafficked and abused illicit drugs are mostly the youth.

Osakwe said, “Pertaining drug exhibits, a total of 404.411kg of various types of drugs were recovered and seized. Precisely, Cannabis Sativa accounted for 400.683kg, Cocaine 0.062kg, Heroin 0.033kg and psychotropic substances 3.633kg.

“Furthermore, 16 litres of Combine, aka ‘goskorine’, ‘monkey tail’ or ‘mukite’, a mixture of Cannabis Sativa and alcohol was also seized. It is worthy of note that N189,370. 00 monetary exhibit was also seized in the year under review. The total value of the drugs seized was N2,839,959.95.”

On the prosecution of suspects, he said a total of 27 convictions were secured while other cases were still at various stages of prosecution.

He added that in 2015, a total of 96 drugs-dependent persons were counselled in the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the command.

Osakwe said 27 persons had successfully completed the three-month mandatory process of counselling while 12 of them were still undergoing the process.

Of the 96 DDPs, 86 persons were males while 10 were females, stressing that during the period, 67 drug preventive education lectures/advocacy talks were carried out at various fora and venues in markets, schools, motor parks, communities, youth groups, churches and mosques.

Osakwe also said public enlightenment materials were also distributed during the command’s public enlightenment programmes to sensitise and educate the populace on the dangers inherent in illicit drug trafficking and abuse as well as to teach intervention techniques for already drug-dependent persons.

He solicited the cooperation of all segments of the society, saying illicit drug trafficking and abuse was a phenomenal scourge, which could only be addressed through the deliberate and active participation of all.

He added, “It is the hope of the Command that in 2016, the level of cooperation and synergy between the Command and relevant stakeholders in the war against illicit drug trafficking and abuse will significantly increase.

“In this wise, we wish to invite all of the relevant stakeholders, especially the state Ministries of Women Affairs, Education, Youth and Sports Development among others, to be more active in partnership with the command.”

Osakwe acknowledged and appreciated Governor Seriake Dickson and his cabinet for the immense contributions and value added towards the progress and functioning of the command.

He urged Bayelsa residents to remain vigilant and report any incident of illegal drug activities to the command to safeguard the health and well-being of all members of the society.