Patrick Odey, Uyo
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Akwa Ibom State Command, have arrested one Okon Bassey and recovered 244 Permanent Voter Cards belonging to different people from him.
Bassey was arrested in the Mbo Local Government Area on Friday along with 120 suspected hard drug dealers found to be in possession of 51kg of cannabis, 259gm of heroin, 17gm of cocaine, 500gm of Tramadol Diazepam and Polypro.
A statement by the Commander of the NDLEA in the state, Mohammed Sokoto, said the suspects were arrested during the pre-election raid by operatives from September last year to date.
The statement added that one Joy Adams, who was described as a notorious heroin dealer in the state, was also apprehended by the operatives for allegedly being in possession of 239gm of heroin.
The statement, which was made available to journalists, on Tuesday, in Uyo, indicated that the suspected PVC thief had been handed over to the Independent National Electoral Commission for further investigation.
The statement read in part, “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Akwa Ibom State Command, embarked on pre-election raid operations between September 2018 and January 2019, and within the period, 120 suspects have been arrested with 51kg of cannabis, 259gm of heroin, 17gm of cocaine, 500gm of Tramadol Diazepam and Polypro.
“A suspect, named Okon Bassey, was arrested with 244 Permanent Voter Cards bearing different identities on Friday, January 25, 2019, in Mbo Local Government Area.”
According to the statement, Adams will be charged to court, while N301,000 has been recovered from the suspects.
Speaking on the suspect caught with the PVCs, Sokoto stated, “This is to show that rigorous search and arrest of drug dealers could also lead to other things and the arrest of other criminals.”
He said the command could not say what precisely Okon intended to do with the 244 PVCs, adding, “Whatever reason, I am sure that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, to whom I have transferred these PVCs to, will be able to say in due course.”
Sokoto, however, stated that some of the suspects, who were caught with hard drugs, had been charged to court, while others were still under investigation.