The police command in Katsina has arrested a suspected drug peddler, allegedly supplying illicit drugs to armed bandits in the Funtua council area.

The command’s spokesman, Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, confirmed this on Friday, revealing that the suspect, aka ‘Dunbuje’, was arrested on July 15, at about 5:00 p.m. by operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Funtua.

According to the police spokesperson, the success was recorded following credible intelligence.

Mr Sadiq-Aliyu explained that the operatives trailed the suspect before apprehending him, adding that an immediate search led to the recovery of 500 tablets of the illicit drug D5.

He said preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect specialised in supplying the drugs to suspected armed bandits and other criminal elements operating in Funtua and neighbouring communities, thereby aiding their criminal activities.

According to him, the suspect is in police custody while investigations continue to unravel his distribution network, identify his source of supply and arrest other accomplices.

He added that the suspect would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.

Police commissioner Ali Umar-Fage commended the operatives for their professionalism and swift response. He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks by disrupting their logistics and drug supply chains.

Mr Umar-Fage further urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to assist security agencies in tackling crime across the state.

(NAN)