By Lamin Cham
A total of seven suspected drug traffickers were recently arrested after agents of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, DLEAG, helped by the Police Intervention Unit broke up two gangs in Bakoteh and Bundung.
According to DLEAG spokesman Ousman Saidybah, one of the gangs raided was that of a suspected Nigerian baron called Jonathan who has been on the agency’s radar for some time. “Jonathan has just been acquitted by a court on drug related offences but we never removed him from our radar and after a fresh tip-off our agents and the police raided and arrested a Gambian, one Prince, lodged by Jonathan in Bundung. Some 15 packs of suspected heroine, 11 packs and 3 stones of suspected cocaine were found on him,” Saidybah said.
He further disclosed that during investigations, another Nigerian one Ojukwu was arrested in Sukuta with 26 stones of suspected cocaine and 13 stones of suspected heroine, and some quantity of Cannabis sativa and variety of ADS.
He said all the men are currently held at the DLEAG post in Bijilo helping with the investigations.
At Bakoteh, agents walked into a story building after a tip-off that one Ebrima Ndow was suspected to be using the building as storage facility for drugs. “Our officers mounted surveillance on the building and when they were reasonably satisfied that the tip-off was correct, they moved into the compound and discovered over 30 big bundles of Cannabis sativa, 50 wraps and some other quantity,” the PRO said.
He said the person found in the building was arrested but agents did not relent and followed a tip-off that Ndow regularly sends drivers to pick stuff from the building. When one of these drivers was picked up, he led the agents to Ndow and consequently, three people in the network were arrested.
PRO Saidybah said in all these successful raids, the police especially the PIU, played “a fantastic” supporting role as well as good citizens who volunteered information. He called on Gambians to join the fight against drugs.
