National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has impounded a Peugeot J5 vehicle loaded with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges in Kogi on Saturday.
The vehicle took off from Onitsha in Anambra and was heading to Zaria in Kaduna State when it was intercepted on the Okene-Abuja Highway.
NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that two suspects found in the vehicle, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested.
He added that also on Saturday, one Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 ammunition cartridges to Abuja from Onitsha was nabbed in a bus.
He stated also that 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from another vehicle which also took off from Onitsha and was heading to Sokoto.
Babafemi added that the arranged receiver of the drugs, Stanley Raymond, 39, was arrested in Sokoto, while the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, was simultaneously arrested in Onitsha.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, a drug dealer, Mohammed Dalhatu aka Dawa, was arrested at Sabon Gari, Zaria with eight bags of Indian hemp weighing 67kg.
Another suspect, Maikudi Hassan, was arrested at Gubuci village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State also with five bags of Indian hemp weighing 54.2kg.
“On Thursday Sept. 15, operatives also arrested Mary Ugwu and Hawwa Idi, at Anchau town in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State with 721 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 37,000 tablets of Exol-5 and nine ampoules of diazepam injection as well as 6.8kg of rubber solution.
“In Edo, NDLEA recovered 285kg of Indian hemp in two raids at Okpuje, Owan West Local Government Area, on Friday Sept. 16.
“In Lagos, 972.5kg of Indian hemp was recovered from an electronics shop at Alaba Market and one of the suspects, Mrs Ebere Aja, 38, was arrested.
“Not less than 335.1kg of Indian hemp was also seized in a raid at Kwanar Kundum area of Bauchi town, where two suspects, Usman Garba and Najib Ibrahim, were arrested,’’ Babafemi stated.
Babafemi quoted NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa as directing that the arms and ammunition impounded in Kogi be hand over to the police for further investigation.
NAN
