The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nasarawa state has arrested two suspects with 1,608kg of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa.

NDLEA commander in the state, Peter Onche-Odaudu, made the disclosure while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday in Lafia.

He said that the suspects, aged 29 and 30, respectively, were arrested by operatives of the agency in Akwanga at about 8.00 a.m. on Tuesday.

Mr Onche-Odaudu said that the suspects, who were travelling from Edo in an unregistered Peugeot J5 vehicle, had stopped after sighting NDLEA operatives from a distance.

“They opened the bonnet and abandoned the vehicle, leaving the impression that it had broken down.

“Our operatives monitored them all through the night until the two suspects returned in the morning to take the vehicle away,” he said.

The commander stated that bags of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were concealed under the piles of pineapples also loaded in the vehicle.

“They loaded pineapples in order to beat law enforcement agencies and to mask the strong odour from the weed,” he said.

Mr Onche-Odaudu said that investigation was ongoing on the matter and that manhunt had been intensified to arrest other accomplices.

The commander restated the commitment of the agency to rid the state of illicit drug business and substance abuse.

(NAN)