The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Strategic Command, has arrested 73 suspected drug dealers and users during a series of coordinated raids on notorious drug dens across the Kano metropolis.
The arrests were made during a one-day intelligence-driven operation conducted under the agency’s ongoing “Operation Sharar Mafaka,” according to a statement issued on Friday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Maigatari.
The operation targeted known drug hotspots, including Filin Mahaha, the Sani Abacha Youth Centre, and parts of the Sheka area, leading to the recovery of various illicit substances and drug-related items.
“In a one-day, coordinated intelligence-led operation conducted under ‘Operation Sharar Mafaka,’ officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Kano Strategic Command, raided the notorious Filin Mahaha drug den, the Sani Abacha Youth Centre and locations in the Sheka area, arresting 73 suspects and recovering a variety of illicit substances,” the statement said.
Recovered items included Cannabis sativa, Diazepam, Pregabalin, Exol-5, a substance popularly known as “suck and die,” as well as other materials linked to the distribution and consumption of illegal drugs.
The agency described the operation as part of sustained efforts to dismantle drug networks and eliminate safe havens for traffickers and substance abusers across the state.
“This operation is a continuation of ‘Operation Sharar Mafaka,’ the command’s ongoing operation to identify, dislodge and dismantle notorious drug joints across the state,” the statement added.
According to the command, the strategy involves repeatedly targeting and occupying identified drug spots to prevent criminal elements from returning and resuming operations.
“The sustained use of dislodge-and-occupy tactics is intended to disrupt the pattern of activity at these locations and deny drug traffickers safe havens to operate.”
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to the anti-drug campaign, the statement noted: “We will continue to dislodge and occupy these drug joints in line with the direction of our Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, until there is no safe place left for illicit drug activities.”
The NDLEA also appealed to residents to support its efforts by providing credible and timely information that could aid future operations aimed at tackling drug abuse and related crimes in Kano State.
