The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved another successful counter-narcotics operation by uncovering and dismantling a social media network used to distribute illicit substances.
The drugs were cleverly packaged as imported Christmas cookies and snacks.
Following a raid on their hideout in the Lekki area of Lagos, the agency arrested and detained the two alleged masterminds of the illicit trade.
A statement released on Sunday, November 30, by Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy emailed to Persecondnews, identified the two individuals running the drug syndicate as Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi.
According to the NDLEA, the duo had imported consignments of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
The syndicate had also imported a variety of colourful designer sachets with pictures and labels of cookies and snacks printed on them, and used to package the psychoactive substance in retail quantities.
The statement reads: “Following credible intelligence about the activities of the syndicate which operates and distributes through a WhatsApp platform, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, November 22 raided their apartment at Ojulari street, Ikate area of Lekki where a large quantity of the designer sachets and 5 kilograms of Loud were recovered from them at the point of their arrest.
“In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, November 27 arrested a 38-year-old drug kingpin Philip Ucheka while taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg at Ladipo area of Mushin.
“At the point of his arrest, three delivery vehicles were also seized from him.
“At a courier company in Lagos, 100grams of Loud concealed in teddy bear imported from Thailand were intercepted on Thursday, November 27 while a consignment of 548 capsules of tramadol hidden in bottles of Vitamin C and Magnesium going to the United Kingdom were recovered at another logistics firm the following day, Friday, November 28.
“In Oyo state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Lagos -Ibadan expressway on Saturday, November 29 nabbed a suspect Wasiu Kareem, 55, with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 590 bottles of codeine syrup; 1,500 pills of Co-codamol and 9,900 capsules of tramadol.
“No fewer than seven suspects were arrested on Monday, November 24 when NDLEA operatives raided the Ipe forest in Akoko South East area of Ondo State where they recovered 3,077 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.”
It also stated: “Those arrested include: John Ede; Ede Ndubuisi; Ikenna Abe; Eze Chukwuma; Maduabuchi Odo; Nnaji Chudubem and Gorge Okowor, while Anthony Sylvester, 49, was arrested along Okene/Lokoja highway Kogi state conveying 649kg skunk in a truck on Wednesday, November 26.
“NDLEA officers at the Seme Special Area Command on Friday, November 28 raided a warehouse at Ashipa, Seme border area of Badagry, Lagos where they arrested a suspect Abubakar Shuaibu, 33, with 487 blocks of skunk weighing 243.5kg.
“In Kano, Tsalha Alasan, 47, was arrested along Zaria-Kano road with 137kg skunk on Monday, November 24, while three suspects: Godspower Appeal, 50; Ernest Upong, 55; and Godday Chukwudi, 38, were nabbed on Wednesday, November 26 with 322 blocks of skunk weighing 209kilograms at Fanshanu village, Toro LGA, Bauchi state.
“A black Toyota Highlander jeep marked ABJ 533 EA used in conveying the consignment was also recovered from them.
“A suspect John Ekojo, 51, was arrested with 210.15kg skunk along Abuja/Jos highway on Saturday, November 29, while a couple: Abdullahi Abubakar, 45, and Jamila Abdullahi, 35, were nabbed along Abuja/Kaduna highway with 725 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition
concealed in a sack of maize.
“Another suspect Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate on Friday, November 28.”
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Junior Technical School, Kofar Kudu, Kano; Bright Eyes International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; dock workers and clearing agents at the Tincan Port, Lagos; Legacy International College, Nsukka, Enugu; and Seatos School, Ikorodu, Lagos, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the
DOGI, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Seme and Bauchi Commands for the various successful operations.
He advised them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
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