NDLEA intercepts cocaine consignments concealed in heads of dry stock fish
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish, along with a key member of
- From Nicholas Kalu, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish, along with a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance across the world, especially to India.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the drug syndicate was smashed followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities.
This, the spokesman said, led to a sting by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command of the agency at Ojo, Lagos last Thursday.
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Babafemi said during the operation, three jumbo size bags were found with the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
He said a search led to the recovery of 237 wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as “Okporoko.”
Babafemi said the cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms and the consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) last Wednesday intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company, he added.
He said: “In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in auto filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
“In yet another major interdiction operation, operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the agency on Thursday, March, 26 raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos where they arrested her and her sales girl, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31. No fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were recovered from them. Omolade popularly known as Iya Ghana, trades in local fabric on the surface but beneath she runs a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.
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“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him.
In Ekiti State, an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti.
“A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 894.72kg of same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect, Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, 37, when an uncompleted building was raided by NDLEA officers at Ogbese, in Akure North area of Ondo State same day.
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“Not less than 116.7kg skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35,
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during a raid at Pevi village, Guma Local Governemt Area, Benue State, on Tuesday March 24, while in Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, March 23 uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma town, Esan West Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 576.5kg skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.”
Babafemi said in Taraba State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence last Tuesday intercepted a truck marked DUT 457 ZB, conveying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in bags of animal feed from Garbachede to Gombe State.
He said two suspects: Osama Mamuda, 21, and Auwal Umar, 22, were nabbed in connection with the seizure.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) praised the offcers and their counterparts in the commands across the country for their efforts in drug reduction.
