The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested five suspects and destroyed 7,500 kilogrammes of cannabis, popularly known as skunk, cultivated on three hectares of land in a forest in Ondo State.

The operation took place on Saturday, October 17, at Okemoro, Isinbode Camp Forest, following intelligence received by the agency, according to a statement by Adebayo Solomon, the Ondo State command’s media and advocacy officer.

The suspects were identified as Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.

NDLEA operatives also recovered 1,281 kilogrammes of drug-related exhibits during the raid, including 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh cannabis stems.

The recovered substances were separate from the 7,500 kilogrammes of cannabis destroyed at the farm, according to the agency.

The operation forms part of the agency’s efforts to disrupt the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs in Ondo State.

In a separate operation in the state, NDLEA operatives arrested a 53-year-old suspect, Okunebe Ndidi, at a hideout in Ameyinti, Owo, on Friday, October 16.

Solomon said the operatives tracked the suspect to the location, where they recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375 kilogrammes.

The two operations resulted in the destruction of a large cannabis cultivation site and the recovery of additional consignments from separate locations.

The latest crackdown comes amid continued NDLEA operations targeting drug production and distribution networks across the country.

In September, the agency also reported the destruction of a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State, where operatives destroyed 5,000 kilogrammes of skunk and arrested four suspects.