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A suspected drug baron in Kogi State on Saturday fled into the bush and abandoned a new Honda Accord saloon with officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, who found 299 compressed parcel of cannabis weighing 196.2kg in the car.
Also, the agency nabbed another truck conveying 89 bags of cannabis weighing 1000.9kg and arrested three suspects in the state.
NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Michelle Ofoyeju, in a statement on Monday, said the agency confiscated a total of 1, 197.1kg of cannabis in the two seizures. He put the street value of the drugs at N8.5m.
He explained that the two operations at the weekend happened on Auchi-Okene Road.
He added that, concerning the abandoned vehicle, the occupant fled for fear of being arrested by the NDLEA officials.
“When we opened the boot, we found 299 compressed parcels of cannabis with a weight of 196.2kg. The abandoned black Honda Accord car used in conveying the deadly weeds is still with us and we have launched a manhunt for the suspect,” he said.
Ofoyeju explained that the truck was a blue Mercedes Benz 914 with registration number Delta XA 914 KWC.
He said, “The NDLEA Commander in charge of Kogi State, Alhaji Idris Bello, explained that the truck was seized during routine check by the patrol officers. There was no information on the cannabis seizures as they were made during the usual routine stop and search operation by the patrol team. The officers became suspicious when one of the truck conductors who wanted to urinate ran into the bush.
“The bags of cannabis were sealed in a false compartment such that when you open the truck from the rear you will think it is an empty vehicle. In the process of searching, the false segment was detected and the drugs recovered after it was cut open.
“Kogi State is a transit point for drug traffickers smuggling illicit drugs from Edo, Delta and Ondo states to the North; but with our competent patrol team, more arrest and seizures would be made. The Kogi command that destroyed over 10,000kg of narcotics two months ago had seized over 10 vehicles used in conveying cannabis in the past one year.”
He said that the agency had arrested three suspects, including the owner of the truck, 43-year-old Chris Odili, adding that the other suspects were Abraham Obi and Godspower Benson.
“The suspects have provided useful information to investigating officers. NDLEA chairman has directed that a forfeiture order application be filed in court regarding the impounded vehicles in line with the agency’s Act. The seized cannabis have been documented as exhibits and we have concluded plans to apply to the court for the vehicles to be forfeited,” Ofoyeju stated.
He added that once investigation was concluded, the suspects would be charged to court.
Source : www.punchng.com
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