The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested two middle-aged men for allegedly supplying hard drugs to bandits in Kaduna State.
The NDLEA Commander in Kaduna, Bala Fagge, who disclosed this to reporters on Thursday noted that the agency has also seized bags of Cannabis Sativa worth 1,760 kilogrammes.
The suspects were said to be supplying hard drugs to bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area and other parts of the state.
Birnin Gwari is one of the areas in Kaduna where bandits and kidnappers have been operating for about three years.
Their activities in the areas have left several people killed and many others homeless while scores of herds of cattle have been rustled.
Fagge explained that the illicit substance worth 1.8 tonnes were sealed in bags of rice and maize by the traffickers as a cover-up to divert the attention of security operatives.
He added that the truck conveying the exhibits from Ondo State to Zaria in Kaduna was intercepted by NDLEA officials who also arrested the driver and the recipient of the substance.
The NDLEA commander stressed that the menace of drug trafficking and addiction must be tackled because of the strong correlation between drugs and crime.
He said the agency has arraigned over 40 suspects in various courts for drug-related offences while many illicit drug outlets have been shut down in the state.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in the state, Samuel Aruwan, was also present at the press briefing.
He told reporters that the intention of the suspects was to supply the hard drugs to the bandits in Birnin Gwari who were their major customers.
Aruwan revealed that the success recorded by the NDLEA has received a commendation from the state government with the donation of two patrol vehicles to boost the operations of the agency.
