By Ademola Ade
The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old suspected drug dealer, identified as Rilwan, in the Apata area of Ibadan, following an intelligence-led operation targeting illicit drug activities in the state.
The suspect, a resident of Apata, was arrested at about 8am yesterday after police operatives received intelligence linking him to the alleged distribution of illicit drugs.
In a press statement issued Sunday, the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said the arrest followed targeted surveillance by operatives of the Iyaganku Area Command.
According to him, “Acting on the intelligence, surveillance operatives of the Iyaganku Area Command commenced targeted surveillance operations which culminated in the arrest of the suspect.”
The police said quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, a white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine and other substances suspected to be dangerous drugs were recovered from the suspect.
The Command said the suspect remained in custody while investigators worked to establish the source of the suspected drugs and determine the extent of his alleged involvement in the illicit trade.
It added that the investigation would also seek to identify other persons who may be linked to the suspected drug network.
Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, said the Command would sustain its intelligence-led operations against drug trafficking and other criminal activities across the state.
Olugbenga described illicit drugs as “a significant catalyst for various forms of crime and criminality,” saying the police would focus on disrupting the supply chains through which such substances reach criminal elements and vulnerable members of the public.
He said: “The Command will continue to work assiduously to identify and disrupt the supply chains of catalytic elements of crime, particularly illicit drugs, while strengthening intelligence-led policing and proactive operations across the State.”
The Commissioner said the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of preliminary investigations, subject to the outcome of the inquiry.
The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in detecting and disrupting illicit drug activities and other criminal networks across the state.
