DLEAG spokesperson
By Buba Gagigo
The Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) said its operatives in Basse were attacked during a night patrol on Saturday.
The full statement reads:
“DLEAG operatives stationed in Basse, Upper River Region embarked on a patrol of hotspot areas notorious for the dealing and trafficking in prohibited and controlled drugs on 19 March 2022. Around 00:45 hours GMT onwards, the team apprehended [a suspect] at his compound in Basse Kaba Kama with twenty-one (21) wraps of suspected cannabis sativa. The patrol team later proceeded to another target at Kerewan Badala with the suspect still in custody and onboard the patrol vehicle.
“They identified themselves as Narcotic Officers on patrol, declared their intention to conduct a search and asked everyone to stay put. During the search of the area where the boys were openly abusing drugs, the patrol team discovered six (6) wraps of suspected cannabis sativa. When the operatives enquired about the ownership of the said suspected cannabis, they were not responsive and were very uncooperative with the patrol team.
“They later resorted to stoning and assaulting the patrol team. The front windscreen (driver’s side) of the patrol vehicle was smashed (damaged) and the suspect who had been arrested earlier sustained serious injury as he tried to jump from a moving vehicle and escape during the fracas. He later revealed that the said boys who were found openly abusing drugs pursued him because they thought that he was also a DLEAG operative.
They explained that the suspect was taken to the hospital and it was discovered that he sustained bruises at the back of his head and a fracture on his left hand. He was given medical attention and discharged.
“Nine of the suspects said to be involved in obstructing the officers, causing willful damage to the patrol vehicle as well as actual and grievous bodily harm to the suspect are in custody. Three others are currently at large and a manhunt has been launched to bring them to book. It is becoming a regular occurrence that people engaged in prohibited acts will have the effrontery and audacity to not only engage in such activities but also resist arrest, act in a mutinous manner and also cause willful damage to state property.
“This conduct will not be tolerated and defaulters will be severely dealt with according to the dictates of the law. While we may not encourage officers using excessive force in the execution of their duties, we must also as citizens or residents comply with legal instructions and requests of law enforcement operatives in the due execution of their duties,” the statement ends.
DLEAG said investigations into the matter will be swift and defaulters will heavily pay the price.
Meanwhile, this medium could not independently verify this claim in the DLEAG statement.