The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo said it had arrested two suspected drug peddlers for allegedly smuggling cannabis in Etsako area of the state.
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Commander of the agency in the state, Mr Buba Wakawa, who made this known in Benin on Friday, said that the suspects were apprehended while conveying 50 bags of dried weeds, suspected to be cannabis sativa.
He said that weeds weighed 685 kilogrammes and were impounded along Okpella-Okene road.
Wakawa said that the suspects operated in a black Toyota Hiace bus marked Ondo AKR 392 LZ and labelled with stickers bearing the emblem of Nigeria Police.
He said that the suspects were members of a drug syndicate, which specialised in smuggling cannabis from South-South to North-West of the country.
He explained that the bus had reportedly taken off from Uzebba in the Owan West Local Government Area of the state, en route Kaduna state, when it was intercepted during a search operation by officers of the agency.
The commander said that the suspected smugglers also attached a siren to their vehicle in a bid to evade security checks by law enforcement agents.
Similarly, the commander also disclosed that 2,412kg of cannabis were seized when operatives of the command raided a forest in Okpuje, in a separate operation.
He said, “So much has been invested into this operation and I am glad that our efforts have been rewarded.
“If found guilty, the suspects could spend their lifetime in prison in accordance with Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act.
“The Act states that anybody that exports, transports or smuggles in the drugs, popularly known as cocaine, LSD, heroine or any other similar drugs, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to life imprisonment.