NDLEA intercepts opioids, meth in carton walls, winter jackets, cream at Lagos airport
…recovers large consignments of illicit drugs in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa raids The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday said it has foiled
...recovers large consignments of illicit drugs in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday said it has foiled desperate attempts by members of Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTOs) to move consignments of illicit substances, especially methamphetamine and opioids, concealed in cartons, winter jackets, and body cream containers, to countries in Europe at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and a courier firm in Lagos.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who made this known in a statement on Sunday, said two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport, where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
Babafemi said one of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy, on Friday when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin light body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
According to Babafemi, in his statement, Ehianuka, a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.
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The NDLEA Spokesman said in another drug bust, operatives at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on Wednesday intercepted a passenger, Christian Agbonhese, who was attempting to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Milan, Italy.
Babafemi said after a thorough search of the suspect's luggage, no fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg were recovered from him, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered to 28,470 pills.
He said the 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan.
Babafemi also said that at a courier firm in Lagos, NDLEA officers last Monday intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped to Lagos from the United States.
He said an attempt was made to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand.
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The statement reads, "In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 18th March arrested a suspect, Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while they nabbed another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, on the same day at Naibawa Gabas, with 95.5kg of the same psychoactive substance."
"Not less than 21, 737 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a store at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos when NDLEA operatives raided the area on Wednesday, 18th March, while two suspects: Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested on the same day on the 3rd mainland bridge, conveying 8,380 bottles of the same substance.
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"While a 97.5kg skunk was recovered from the home of a suspect, Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, on Monday, 16th March, NDLEA operatives in Abuja on Wednesday, 18th March intercepted a commercial bus along Gwagwalada expressway in the FCT.
"A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in its body compartments. The bus driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was promptly taken into custody.
"In Oyo state, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was arrested on Tuesday, 17th March, at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from the Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
"Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, 17th March, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, 20th March.
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"Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives in Taraba state on Tuesday, 17th March, intercepted a suspect, Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo highway while conveying 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.
"In Adamawa state, no fewer than six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola on Tuesday, 17th March. The joint owners of the consignment include: Ramatu Aliyu; Jungudo Abdullahi; Najid Abdullahi; Musa Mohammed; Usman Abdulrahim; and Musa Mohammed. They were all arrested in swift follow-up operations.
"In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Girls High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; New State High School, Mushin, Lagos; Cornerstone Secondary School, Sankwala, Cross River; Community Secondary School, Ngwo-Uno, Udi, Enugu, and St. John’s Academy, Ipokia LGA, Ogun state, among others.
"While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency."
