In another successful counter-narcotics operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of several international drug consignments in Lagos.
The shipments, headed for the US, UK, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a local courier company.
Traffickers had used bizarre concealment methods, hiding the illicit substances inside frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothes.
Following the discovery, the NDLEA has placed two suspects into custody.
The agency identified cargo agent Boladale Riliwan as one of those arrested on October 7.
His apprehension came after agents discovered 15 parcels of skunk concealed within ten giant rechargeable electrical bulbs that he was attempting to airfreight to the DRC from the Lagos Airport export shed.
It also arrested a 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, who is a UK-based Public Health Assistant.
Hakeemot, a UK-based Public Health Assistant, was arrested on October 12 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to smuggle 2,300 tramadol 225mg pills (concealed in frozen snails) to Manchester, UK, on a Qatar Airways flight.
According to a statement released on Sunday, October 19, by Mr Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy and emailed to Persecondnews, an attempt by another syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam hidden in female clothes going to the United States was also thwarted by the Agency at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday, October 16.
The statement reads: “In Adamawa, a suspect Bello Buba was intercepted at an NDLEA check point in Namtari, Yola South LGA with 38,270 pills of tramadol concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic car he drove all the way from Benin Republic to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria on Sunday, October 12
“Not less than 53,250 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti state, with 70 bags of the same psychoactive substance weighing 1,140kg recovered by NDLEA operatives during an operation that lasted between Sunday, October 12 and Monday, October 13.
“Suspects arrested include: Matthew Emmanuel, 26; James Moses, 27; and Israel Samuel, 20. This followed the destruction of 17,400kg skunk on 6.96 hectares of plantation by NDLEA operatives at Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo state on Sunday, October 12.
“In Oyo state, Aliyu Muhammed, 50; Babarinde Segun,32; Ogunbiyi Sanjo, 30; and Ajani Oluro,30, were nabbed with 596kg skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while Jacob Afolabi, 30, and Salako Oluwatobi, 25, were arrested with 273kg of same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on Thursday, October 16.
“While Joseph Andrew was arrested in possession of 88kg skunk on Wednesday, October 15, by NDLEA operatives at Ona – Imeko, Ogun state, another suspect Festus Udoh, 42, was nabbed with 13,000 pills of opioids along Onitsha- Owerri road, Imo state.
“In same vein, a total of 74.5kg skunk was recovered from the store of a suspect Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo – Agu village, Enugu state on Saturday, October 18.”
It added: “In Lagos, no fewer than 11 bags of skunk weighing 117kg were recovered from the base of a suspect Ramoni Olukowi in Mushin area on Saturday, October 18, while a total of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in a container earlier watch-listed by NDLEA coming from India during a joint examination of the shipment with men of Customs service and other security agencies at the Apapa port on Tuesday, October 14.”
In like manner, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA advocacy lecture to students and staff of Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Yau Danzabuwa, Babura, Jigawa state; and Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro, Kano.
Also visited are Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Fuga, Edo state; St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, Enugu and St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun state, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo Commands for the arrests, and seizures of the past weeks.
He urged them and their colleagues across the country not to relent in their ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
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