The Anambra State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its war against illicit drugs, following the arrest of six suspected drug traffickers, including a female dealer, in Isuaniocha, Awka North Local Government Area.

According to a press statement released on Saturday, May 31, 2025, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out by operatives of the Special Cultism Squad, Obosi Sector, in the early hours of Friday, May 30. Acting on credible intelligence, the officers stormed the hideout of a suspected drug network, where they apprehended the suspects and recovered a large quantity of dried leaves suspected to be hard drugs, alongside other incriminating substances.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Chinyere Onwuka (female, 32), John Kennedy Onwuka (36), Chidiebere Onyeze (30), Echeazu Nonso (35), Osita Chukwu Chialuka (21), and Nnebedum Wisdom (25).

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu fwc MNIPS PhD, expressed deep concern over the rising rate of drug abuse, especially among young people in the state. He noted that “drugs are the oxygen that drives most crimes and bad behaviour exhibited by individuals,” emphasizing the urgent need to address the root causes of criminality.

CP Orutugu further stated the Command’s readiness to intensify community-based sensitization against illicit drugs and related vices through the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV). The initiative aims to educate youths on the dangers of substance abuse, cultism, and other criminal tendencies.

The police confirmed that all six suspects will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Awka for further investigation and necessary legal actions.

The Anambra State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a drug-free society and urged the public to continue providing timely and credible information that can aid in flushing out criminal elements from the state.