Friday 27 January 2012

Marijuana Barons find new tricks...

Indian hemp growers in Ondo State are designing new methods to hide the substance from the eagle eyes of the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Despite the spirited efforts of the agency to battle the cultivation of the illicit drug, the hemp growers have been moving the substance after harvest to buyers.


The dealers in cannabis employ different tricks to avoid detection by the NDLEA officials on patrol. Often times, the substance is neatly concealed in kegs to deceive the NDLEA officials that the kegs contain palm oil. When this trick became known to the agency, they adopted other methods to beat the anti-narcotic agents.

Their latest strategy such as concealing the weeds in planks neatly made to look like coffin has, however, been exposed now. This was uncovered by the agency when a truck loaded with 680 kilograms of Indian hemp was intercepted in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government area.

Ogbese is notorious for the cultivation of Indian hemp as most youths in the area have jettisoned farming to engage in the illicit trade considered lucrative. Though, the couriers took to their heels on sighting the officials of the NDLEA, the substance was seized.
Commander of the state NDLEA, Walter Nicholas, said it has been a Herculean task reducing the activities of these barons who have refused to turn a new leaf. He noted that the interception of the cannabis was made possible through the assistance of the Nigeria Police, saying stopping the planting of Indian hemp in the state required a collective and timely approach.

He lamented that despite the efforts being made by the agency, drug barons are designing new methods of hiding the substance from the agency’s officials: “As an agency, whenever we stumble on any form of strategy adopted by these drug barons, we immediately expose it to the public so that collectively, we can provide surveillance that may lead to the interception of actions.“I must commend the effective collaboration of the state Commissioner of Police and the resilient commitment of his men towards this fight. The agency in the state has benefited immensely through this collective effort.”

Nicholas urged drug barons to look for legitimate work that would bring development to the nation. He said the agency is aware that most of the drug barons have moved to the forest where most of their activities are now taking place, adding that the command is ready to put up 24-hour surveillance around the state.

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