Troops Bust International Drug Syndicate, Impound Truckload Of Marijuana

Troops of 192 Battalion Nigeria Army operating in 81 Division Area of responsibility, have again, on Tuesday, intercepted a suspected international drug syndicate smuggling a truckload of substance suspected to be Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) en route Sango Otta in Ogun State.

The troops arrested two suspects identified as Mr Matthew Edegbe, a Benin Republic national and Mr Joshua Dansu of Idiroko, who have been taken into custody.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said the troops while responding to actionable intelligence conducted stop and search operations along Ajilete Road in Yewa South local government area of Ogun State.

He said during the operations, the troops intercepted and impounded the suspected truck without a Registration number at the time of arrest, loaded with 397 wraps of substance suspected to be Marijuana.

According to the Army spokesman, preliminary investigations revealed that “the illicit substance concealed in the truck were transported from Ghana through Benin Republic via Igholo-Idiroko enroute Sango Otta in Ogun State.

He said in a further search, the troops recovered from the suspects; 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 phones, one iphone, a Benin Republic National Identification card and a Driver’s license belonging to one George Benyagbe, as well as the sum of N7,000 only.

He added that the suspects, vehicle and exhibits have been taken into custody, pending handing over to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command.

Recall that troops of the Battalion had on Saturday, July 15, 2023 intercepted a truckload of over 20,000 cartridges of ammunition heading to Anambra State.

The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, while commending the troops for their commitment and vigilance, also urged them to sustain the momentum to rid the country of criminality.