Officials of the Edo State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly attempting to smuggle cannabis on one of the buses of Edo City Transport Service.
The suspect, who claimed to be a graduate of Political Science, according to the NDLEA, is a member of a notorious cannabis smuggling cartel involved in interstate trafficking of drugs.
The suspect was allegedly found with 48 blocks of compressed dried weeds of cannabis sativa weighing 37 kilogrammes packed in two bags in the passenger bus. The drug is said to have an estimated street value of ₦370,000.
The NDLEA commander in the State, Buba Wakawa, who confirmed the arrest, gave the name of the suspect as Raymond Ojero from Delta State. He added that the bus departed Iki town in Owan East Local Government Area of the state on its way to Benin City, the state capital, but it was intercepted along Auchi road by Idogbo bypass based on intelligence report.
“A search operation was conducted and two bags were found to contain dried weeds of cannabis sativa. It was also gathered that the suspect bought the drug at Uzebba and was on his way to Onitsha where he intended to board another vehicle to Kano, his final destination.
“The command is working on strategies to prevent the use of ECTS and other transport companies in drug trafficking,” Wakawa said, adding that the suspect is under investigation and will soon be charged to court.
In his statement, the suspect accepted ownership of the drug stating that he decided to smuggle cannabis because of the loss he incurred in his cattle business.
“I suffered a loss of half a million naira, my entire capital in my cattle business. As a result, a friend introduced me to cannabis business that it will help me to recover my lost money.
“I am a graduate of Political Science from Delta State University. It was my financial predicament that made me smuggle cannabis and I regret my action,” he stated.
