The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 196 suspects for drug-related offences in Taraba State.

The state commander of the NDLEA, Suleiman Jadi, disclosed this on Friday at an event to mark this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

He explained that officials of the agency made the arrests between July 2019 and March 2020, noting that 39 of them have been convicted.

Jadi revealed that the suspects were arrested with about 883.76kilograms of Cannabis Sativa and psychotropic substances in different parts of the state.

He added that the command has successfully counselled 53 persons through its anti-drug abuse awareness and enlightenment campaigns and programmes.

According to the NDLEA state commander, Taraba is witnessing an increase in drug abuse since the advent of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state, which is negatively affecting their daily operations.

He decried that the situation was further compounded by a substandard rehabilitation centre of the agency for victims of drug abuse.

Jadi also listed some of the challenges faced by the command to include accommodation, logistics, and rehabilitation facilities for drug addicts.