NDLEA Arrests 4,736 Traffickers

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The NDLEA has in the last one year arrested 4,736 persons for drug related offences in Nigeria, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A country report by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), presented on Tuesday at the 21st Meeting of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in Africa holding in Addis Ababa, said the arrests were made between August 2010 and June 2011.

The report, which was made available to NAN correspondent in Addis Ababa, showed that more than 156,330 kg. of illicit drugs were seized within the period.

“The illicit drugs are classified thus: Cocaine 480.92 kg, Cannabis Sativa 155,249.86 kg, and Psychotropic Substances 419 kg”, the report said.

It stated that about 744.84 hectares of Cannabis Sativa farmlands were destroyed during the period.

The report said Cannabis sativa has continued to pose significant challenge to the country’s drug control efforts, but Nigeria was doing everything possible to overcome the problem.

“The international airports remain the main centres where frequent seizures are made in the country, especially Lagos and Abuja international airports, while major Cannabis seizures are carried out in the hinterland,” it stated.

The report said Nigeria made its first discovery of clandestine laboratory in June 2011, which has the capacity of producing between 120 kg. and 200 kg. of amphetamine per day.

It stated that Nigeria has successfully prosecuted 992 drug offenders within the last one year. “These persons were convicted for the offences and sentenced to various jail terms, including two foreign nationals from China and Taiwan”, it stated.

The report said international collaboration and joint operations has led to the seizure of two 20-ft containers stuffed with 110 kg and 165 kg, respectively, of cocaine at different times in January 2011.

It said both containers were from Bolivia and the seizures were made through intelligence sharing with international collaborators.

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