72 suspected drug peddlers have been arrested by the Edo Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Mr Buba Wakawa, State Commander of the agency disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, on Thursday.

According to Wakawa, the suspects were arrested between January and March.

He also disclosed that about 6,645 kilo grammes of substance suspected to be illicit drugs were seized within the period under review.

He disclosed that the suspects included 48 males representing 66.7per cent and 24 females representing 33.3 per cent.

He explained that the seized drugs included, 6,64 kilo grammes of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa, 401 tablets of Tramadol, 645 tablets of Rophynol, 24 grammms of cocaine, 534 gramms of Amphetamine and 30 bottles of codeine syrup.

He also said that the command identified and destroyed about 2.5 hectares of suspected cannabis farms.

The commander told NAN that some of the farms were located in Usen and Ugbogui in Ovia South West and Uromi Esan South West Local Government Areas of the state.

He added that two vehicles were impounded within the period.

Wakawa also disclosed that the command secured convictions of two suspected drug dealers and counselled 80 others with drug abuse problems.

He, however, raised alarm over the involvement of school aged children in illicit drug trafficking and abuse.

He said that it was disheartening that 16 of the suspects arrested were between the ages of 15 to 24 years.

This according to him is a wakeup call on parents and other stakeholders to intensify the campaign against drug abuse. (NAN)

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