Troops of 192 Battalion Nigerian Army operating in 81 Division Area of Responsibility have intercepted a suspected international drug syndicate smuggling a truck load of substance suspected to be Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) en route Sango Otta, Ogun State.
Responding to actionable intelligence, troops conducted stop and search operations along Ajilete Road in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday, during which they intercepted and impounded the suspected truck without Registration number.
Director Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu in a statement issued Wednesday said the truck was loaded with 397 wraps of substance suspected to be marijuana.
He added that in the preliminary investigations that followed, it was revealed that the illicit substance concealed in the truck were transported from Ghana through Benin Republic via Igholo-Idiroko enroute Sango Otta.
Nwachukwu noted that the suspects conveying the illegal drugs have been identified as Mr. Matthew Edegbe, a Benin Republic national and Mr. Joshua Dansu of Idiroko, who are currently assisting in ongoing investigations.
He said: “Items recovered from the suspects include the truck’s Registration number identified as (T 1826 LA Lagos), which was detached and concealed in the vehicle to prevent identification, an Infinix and Itel phone, one iphone, a Benin Republic National Identification card and a Driver’s license belonging to one George Benyagbe, as well as the sum of N7000 only.
‘The suspects, vehicle and exhibits have been taken into custody, pending handing over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command.”
Nwachukwu recalled that the troops of the Battalion had last Saturday intercepted a truck load of over 20,000 cartridges of ammunition heading to Anambra state.