By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Police operatives in Anambra State have arrested a group of seven young men over alleged involvement in drug abuse and trafficking in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

The arrest which was carried out by police officers attached to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, came on the heels of a major clampdown operation initiated by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, who cited substance abuse as a primary catalyst for crime in society.

The officers stormed the suspected drug den in Oko in the early hours of Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Confirming the operation in a press release issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, he said the raid led to the arrest of six suspects and the recovery of a large quantity of various hard drugs and illicit substances.

He reeled out the arrested suspects whose ages range from 24 to 35 years old to include Joseph Chukwura, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka, Ifeanyi Agbanari, Igwe Chineche, Mmadufor Chinecherem, Chibueze Chukwumankpam, and Mmadubom Uchenna.

The statement reads on part: “The suspects are currently undergoing intensive interrogation aimed at extracting critical information that could aid ongoing investigations, particularly in relation to the recent fatal incident in Oko, which the Command believes may be drug-related.

“The operation was part of a broader and intensified security strategy to sanitize Oko and its environs, which have witnessed a surge in cult-related activities, drug abuse, and other forms of criminality in recent times.

“This latest action is expected to disrupt the supply chain of hard drugs in the area and expose deeper criminal networks that might be hiding under the radar.”