Nigerian Army troops from the 192 Battalion, operating in the 81 Division Area of Responsibility, have made a significant bust, intercepting a suspected international drug syndicate on Tuesday.
The operation took place along Ajilete Road in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Acting on actionable intelligence, the troops conducted stop and search operations and impounded a suspected truck without registration number. Upon inspection, the vehicle was found to be carrying 397 wraps of a substance suspected to be Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as Marijuana.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the illegal substance was being smuggled from Ghana through Benin Republic via Igholo-Idiroko, en route to Sango Otta in Ogun State. The two suspects transporting the illicit drugs have been identified as Matthew Edegbe, a Benin Republic national, and Joshua Dansu of Idiroko. They are currently assisting in ongoing investigations.
READ ALSO: FG to review workers’ salary in response to subsidy removal, says Akpabio
Among the items recovered from the suspects were an Infinix and Itel phone, an iPhone, a Benin Republic National Identification card, and a driver’s license belonging to one George Benyagbe. Additionally, a sum of Seven Thousand Naira (N7000) was seized.
The suspects, along with the vehicle and the confiscated exhibits, have been taken into custody pending handover to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command.
This is not the first successful operation by the Battalion. Just three days prior, on Saturday, July 15, 2023, troops intercepted a truck carrying over 20,000 cartridges of ammunition destined for Anambra state.
In response to these accomplishments, the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, a Major General commended the troops for their dedication and vigilance. He urged them to sustain their efforts in ridding the country of criminal activities.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138
