The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended 443 persons for alleged drugs associated crimes in Katsina State between January and June this year.

The state NDLEA Commander, Hajiya Maryam Sani, made the disclosure at a news conference in Katsina on Tuesday.

She said the conference was part of activities to commemorate the 2018 United Nations (UN) day against drug abuse and trafficking.

Sani said that the command had seized 336.4043 kilograms of illicit drugs and 2,553.06 liters of cough syrup with codeine from the suspects.

“It is disheartening to note that the command arrested 21 women among the suspects.

“”In addition, 21 students of institutions of higher learning were arrested with 128 bottles of cough syrup with codeine,” she said.

The commander added that 23 drug suspects had been sentenced to various jail terms, while 110 cases were at various stages of trial at the Federal High Court, Katsina.

Sani said that the command was faced with problem of lack of operational vehicles and enough manpower to cover the state.

The commander also noted that the rate of trading in cough syrup with codeine had reduced drastically due to intensified enforcement of ban on the product by the agency’s operatives.

“We learned that consumers buy a bottle of cough syrup with codeine at over N2,000, while the traders have turned mobile carrying it in vehicles moving from one place to another,” she said.

She urged parents, religious organisations and other stakeholders to support the agency in its effort to preventing youths from engaging in drugs abuse and trafficking.