Two on the run over opium growing

Police in Asuret Sub County in Soroti district in conjunction with local authorities have uprooted and destroyed one acre of opium at Akisim village in Adacar Parish.

The operation follows an outcry by residents over the skyrocketing numbers of opium growers and smokers in the area.

Police led by the OC Sergeant Simon Ecokit on Sunday arrested one of the suspects who had allegedly attempted to escape but was intercepted by Police.

Ekocit said the suspect in custody is a juvenile.

Police during the operation according to Ecokit, found rolled remains of opium in the pockets of the suspect.

Ecokit said the suspects who include Okello Aguri, a resident of Akisim village and John Emiku of Magoro village are on run but one of the prime suspects was already in custody.

According to Ecokit, the suspect in custody is a son to Emiku. 

"He led us to a site where his father had planted opium where we recovered a nursery bed of opium which we destroyed," Ecokit said.

Simon Ojing the LC1 chairperson said the suspects sell opium to dealers in Soroti town, Serere and Ngora district.

"We did not know that the gardens are as large as we witnessed" he explained.

According to him, they had no idea about the opium gardens because they are surrounded by cassava.

However, Ecokit said Police will have charges of possessing opium preferred against the suspects while the dry opium recovered from the homes of the suspects will be destroyed.