Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have arrested a suspected foreign supplier of illicit drugs and other prohibited items believed to be destined for terrorist elements operating in the Lake Chad region.
The suspect, identified as Mrs. Rachael Samuel, 48, a Chadian national from Kelo in the Chari-Baguirmi Province of the Republic of Chad, was intercepted along the Maiduguri-Monguno Road in Borno State.
The Acting Military Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement yesterday, saying the suspect was arrested on Thursday, July 9, following credible intelligence.
According to Goni, the suspect was travelling in a suspicious vehicle towards Kwatan Doron Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno state when troops intercepted and searched the vehicle.
He said the items recovered included seven compressed bundles of suspected Cannabis sativa weighing about 30 kilogrammes, two 10-litre containers of hydromercuric chloride, popularly known as “Suck and Die,” one carton containing 48 bottles of dry gin, and 61 bottles of herbal alcoholic beverages, with an estimated street value running into millions of naira.
Other recovered items included one mobile phone, two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, personal effects and an undisclosed sum of cash.
Goni said preliminary investigations indicated that the consignment was being transported to locations within the Lake Chad Islands, an area known to harbour terrorist groups.
“The suspect is currently in military custody, while all recovered exhibits have been secured pending handover to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further investigation and prosecution in accordance with extant laws,” he said.
He added that the interception underscored OPHK’s resolve to deny terrorist groups access to logistics and supplies that sustain their operations.
According to him, intelligence has consistently shown that terrorist groups rely on illicit drugs and intoxicants to stimulate fighters, suppress fear and facilitate violent operations.
“By intercepting the consignment before it reached its destination, the troops have disrupted another critical aspect of the terrorists’ support network,” Goni said.
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