…intercepts 3.1 tons of Cannabis Sativa

By Evelyn Usman

An attempt by a syndicate which specialized in conveying Cannabis sativa from Kogi State to the Federal Capital Territory, to abduct an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in its bid to escape arrest, has been foiled in Kogi.

Members of the syndicate were forced to abandon the truck which was loaded with 3.1 tons of the illegal substance along the Okene- Lokoja expressway, during a hot pursuit, leaving the NDLEA official inside.

Vanguard gathered that officials of the agency’s patrol team flagged the vehicle, a 30T HOWO truck which was heading for the FCT. In the course of ascertaining the content of the goods which the driver claimed was rice, one of the NDLEA officials climb the truck

But the driver was said to have immediately zoomed off, with the anti-narcotics officer still in the bucket of the truck, in his bid to evade arrest.

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His colleagues who mobilized and pursued the truck found where it was abandoned with their colleague inside.

The agency’s Commander in Kogi, Mr Alfred Adewunmi, said when the truck was searched vital documents that could lead to the apprehension of owner of the truck were recovered.

He said, “ “We have all the particulars of the vehicle that will enable us track the driver and owners of the drug. We have the vehicle number plate, a telephone and some other documents that were recovered from the truck which the team took to the office for proper and further investigations.”

“The documents indicate that the vehicle belongs to one Ibrahim, also known as Ade Bendel, from Edo State but based in Abuja while the driver goes by Abor Bello, also from Edo State. There are, however, indications that the drug belongs to a syndicate, as the Drug Label on the bags indicate several owners”.

VANGUARD