The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed concern over the high rate of hard drug consumption in Abia after reviewing its 2012 operations in the state.
Mrs Florence Ezeonye who heads the Abia Command of the Agency raised the alarm in an interview with newsmen in Aba.
She said that the agency made a total seizure of 1112kilograms of cocaine, heroin and cannabis from January to December 2012, stressing that cocaine was 683.9grammes, cannabis 1110.3kilograms and heroin 1.46kilograms in 2012, while total seizure in 2011 was 2458kilograms; cocaine was 285grammes, cannabis 1498.5kilograms and heroin 475.3grammes.
Ezeonye said that the consumption of heroin and cocaine increased, while cannabis dropped during the year under review.
According to her, heroin was seriously on the high side last year compared to 2011. She said that the number of arrest increased by the year, pointing out that 230 persons were arrested in 2012, comprising 211males and 19 females, while in 2011, 160 arrests was made, comprising 19 females and 141 males.
“We are moving forward at least you can see the increase in the quantity of cocaine and heroin seized in 2012.We seized over a kilogram of heroin, which in 2011 was 475.3grammes and cocaine 285grammes, and cannabis 683.9grammes last year.
“I can say that people are leaving the trade of cannabis to that of more harder drugs, and even more people are getting it too by number,” she said.
