The Delta State Police Command said it has arrested more than 270 suspects and recovered large quantities of suspected illicit drugs during coordinated raids on criminal hideouts in Warri, Uvwie, Jeddo and Ughelli, in what authorities described as an intelligence-led crackdown on black spots across the state. The operation was announced on Thursday by police spokesman SP Bright Edafe, who said the raids targeted locations long associated with drug activity, cultism and other crimes.
According to Edafe, the first phase of the operation was carried out on March 25, 2026, when officers led by DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi stormed parts of Warri South, Uvwie and Okpe local government areas, including Ugbrumu and Jeddo communities. He said 59 suspects — 51 men and eight women — were arrested during the raids. Police said officers recovered substances suspected to be codeine, crack cocaine, “loud,” “colos,” and Indian hemp from the affected locations.
Edafe added that several of the raided premises, including some hotels, were allegedly being used as brothels and safe havens for criminal elements, with some of those apprehended believed to be cult suspects already on the police watch list. The command said the raids formed part of a broader effort to dismantle criminal networks operating around commercial and residential hubs in Delta State.
Police said a second operation followed on March 26 in Ughelli, where officers targeted areas notorious for drug-related activity, including Epini Hotel along the Ughelli–Patani Expressway, Torsac Hotel and Primaria Guest House. That raid led to the arrest of 213 more suspects, pushing the combined total to over 270. Drugs reportedly recovered in the Ughelli operation included Canadian loud, CSC syrup, tramadol, swinol and Indian hemp.
The command said all suspects and exhibits recovered during the operations had been handed over to the appropriate police units for further investigation and possible prosecution. Edafe said the Commissioner of Police, CP Aina Adesola, had reassured residents that everyone found culpable would be made to face the law, while also urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support crime prevention and law enforcement efforts.
The raids are the latest in a series of police operations in Delta State in recent weeks, as the command intensifies efforts against cultism, armed robbery and drug-related crime. Authorities appear keen to project a tougher enforcement posture, particularly in areas repeatedly identified as flashpoints for organized criminal activity.
