The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it intercepted a vehicle and 35 sacks of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Indian hemp, weighing 1,244.4 kilogrammes in Kogi.
Commander of the agency in the state, Alhaji Idris Bello, said that the drug worth N6 million was confiscated on Friday in Lokoja.
Bello said that one suspect, Stanley Duru, a 40-year-old boutique manager from Akure, who claimed to be a passenger in the vehicle, had been arrested in connection with the seizure.
He said that the vehicle, a Peugeot J5 bus, with registration number XDA 438 KTN, was intercepted near Kabba Junction on Lokoja-Abuja highway with the illicit drug neatly concealed in the sacks.
The sacks, according to him, were hidden from sight with cartons of assorted biscuits, cheese balls, plastic take-away plates and bags of toilet tissues, with detergent powder sprayed on them to muffle the weed’s smell.
Bello explained that the bus was abandoned after its driver escaped on spotting men of the command on patrol, leaving Duru, who claimed to have been picked as passenger at Okene.
He said that the suspect’s claim of innocence would be investigated.
The commander also said another suspected drug dealer was arrested with 500 grammes of Diazepam and 200 grammes each of Exol-5 and cannabis sativa on Tuesday near Kabba junction on Lokoja-Abuja road.
He said that suspect admitted being a dealer in drugs saying, “he admitted buying the drugs from Obajana for sale at Zango, a suburb of Lokoja’’.
The suspect arrested with the J5 bus told newsmen that he was travelling to Abuja from Akure when the commercial bus conveying him and other passengers broke down.
He said that while he was waiting to board another vehicle to continue his journey that the J5 bus came along and the driver offered to assist him.
He claimed that he was confused when the driver suddenly stopped and jumped out of the vehicle.
The suspect said that he thought that the driver went to ease himself but was surprised to see NDLEA operatives, who subsequently arrested him and vehicle.
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