Lorine Emenike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Rivers State command says it has uncovered a warehouse of compressed cannabis sativa in Abuja estate area of Port Harcourt metropolis.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday at the Command premises, the state NDLEA commander Mrs. Rachel Shelleng, stated “in the early hours of Saturday 20th February, 2021, based on a high profile intelligence gathering, officers of the agency under my command stormed Abuja estate in Port Harcourt metropolis and uncovered a cannabis warehouse containing 23 bags of compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 621kgms and 0.029kgms of cocaine. The seized compressed cannabis sativa has been estimated to have a street value of over seventeen million (N17,000,000) naira.
“The exhibit recovered from the warehouse were promptly evacuated to the office for further investigation after which the officers proceeded to slaughter area of Trans-Amadi, in Port Harcourt metropolis and recovered 0.150kgms of loose quantity of cannabis sativa, 0.006kgms of heroin and 0.048kgms of methamphetamine.
“Three male suspects were apprehended in connection to the seizures and were taken to the command headquarters for further investigation.
“Both Abuja estate and Slaughter areas of Port Harcourt have been identified as notorious spots for illicit drug peddling. Therefore, the agency will stop at nothing to ensure that those black spots and indeed the entire Rivers State will be sanitized of illicit drug menace.
“The general public is hereby enjoined to avail the agency with actionable intelligence that will lead to sanitize the state of the illicit trade.
Shelleng, however, used the medium to appreciate the chairman/ chief executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) for motivating officers to go on offensive action action against drug traffickers and dealers.
She also appreciated the collaboration of sister security agencies especially the Garrison Commander of 6 Division Nigerian Army and the Rivers State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for their support during the operation.
She also used the medium to warn those indulging in illicit production of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratory to desist forthwith as there will be no hiding place for them anymore because NDLEA is poised to smoke them out; as the effects of methamphetamine is quite destructive even to non users of the illicit substance who may be residing around the clandestine laboratories.
Mrs. Shelleng solicited for government intervention for the command to aid them in operational logistics such as patrol vehicles, bullet proof vests for raid operations, hand and leg cuffs and other operational accessories, manpower and fund for running the activities of the command.
