The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Bayelsa State says it has arrested a total of 169 hard drug offenders in the state between 2019 till date.

The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Kopi Maulsei, who disclosed to newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa, on the occasion to commemorate this year’s United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, said the Command has also confiscated several illegal hard drugs within this period.

Judging from the age category of drug users in the state, he said it is clear that drugs are chiefly consumed for the purpose of socializing and entrainment, adding that one drug user has been successfully rehabilitated in the rehabilitation centre, and has been reunited with his family.

Maulsei said,

“Following the arrests, the Command last year seized 193.832kgs of hard drugs comprising 102.223kgs of cannabis sativa; 0.035kg of cocaine; 0.065kg of heroin; 2.5kgs of Tramadol 2,854 Tablets.

Others are 0.094kg of Swinol, 2.136kgs of Diazepam, 0.676kg of Codeine, 11 bottles, 86.103kgs of Koskorine mixtures of Cannabis/Alcohol.

“While in 2020, the Command seized 63kgs of Cannabis, 0.253kg of cocaine, 0.009kg of Heroin with a grand total of 63.262kgs. From our arrests and seizures other time, drugs are chiefly smuggled into the State, by non-indigenes who mostly do not reside in the State but come in, deliver their wares to pocket dealers and leave.”

He appealed to multinationals and other business organizations to partner with NDLEA in drug education programmes, by sponsoring drug awareness programmes.