The Cross River command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported the seizure of 2.05 tons of hard drugs from drug peddlers between January and December in the state.
The state commander, Rachel Umebuali, also the Commander of Narcotics (CN), revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Monday.
Umebuali disclosed that 223 suspects, including 22 females and 201 males, were arrested in connection with the seized hard drugs, which included Cannabis, Cocaine, Heroine, Methamphetamine, and Psychotropics.
The breakdown of seized substances indicated 1.64 tons of Cannabis, while Cocaine, Heroine, Methamphetamine, and Psychotropics accounted for 3.5 grams, 4.3 grams, 81.9 grams, and 410.24 kilograms, respectively.
Umebuali mentioned that several suspects faced court charges, with some securing convictions, while others were discharged and acquitted.
The narcotics commander expressed concern about the rising cases of drug abuse among youths and identified vehicles and motorcycles as the primary mode of operation for drug peddlers.
Despite challenges such as inadequate operational vehicles, difficult road access, and issues like cultism and communal crises, Umebuali emphasized the command’s success in the outgoing year.
Looking ahead, she expressed the commitment of the agency to improving performance in the coming year.
