Another major counter-narcotics operation by the NDLEA has foiled an attempt to smuggle 70 parcels of cocaine to London, UK. The drugs were ingeniously concealed inside containers of cocoa butter body cream—a deceptive method uncovered by the agency.
The cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on October 14, during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.
A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for airfreight, was promptly arrested, while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
In a follow-up operation on October 18, a female healthcare worker, Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, was arrested, following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the CEO of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office on Monday, October 20.
In a similar development, a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, attempted to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement sent to Persecondnews on Sunday, October 26, said Lamena was arrested on Wednesday, October 22.
The statement reads: “No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state following credible intelligence on Tuesday, October 21.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday, October 26 raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island where a drug party was going on. Over 100 suspects including the owner of the club Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening.
“Cartons of illicit substances including Loud, and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11pm on Saturday, October 25 however disrupted the gathering at 3am on Sunday, October 26, based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were on Tuesday, October 21 arrested with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mubi, Adamawa state.
“While NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state seized 162.200kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck on Friday, October 24, operatives in Nasarawa state on Wednesday, October 22, recovered 128kg of same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi area of the state.”
The statement also reads: “A mother of two Oyonumoh Glory Effiong who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, October 17,
during a raid at her Lekki home where 500 grams of the illicit substances were recovered.
“In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Thursday, October 23 raided the home of a suspect Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe at Solomade estate where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
“A 75-year-old grandpa Echendu Onuoka was on Wednesday, October 22 arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, Abia state with 4.7kg skunk seized from him while a 60-year-old grandma Aukana John was nabbed with 225 grams of same substance at Apanta village, in the same LGA.
“While 150kg skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5kg of same substance at Yan aya , Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna on Friday, October 24 just as another set of suspects: Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.
“At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, October 22 nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55kg skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry while Amusa Oluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga Badagry.
“In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road on Monday, October 20 arrested a suspect Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of AK 47 riffle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka LGA, Zamfara.
“Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.”
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 Asabari Grammar School, Iluwa Isale Oke, Saki West LGA, Oyo; Government Day Girls Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi; St. Mark’s College, Nsude, Enugu; Kusaki Secondary School, and Gboko North, Benue.
Also visited are Government Day Secondary School, Serti- Baruwa, Gashaka LGA, Taraba; Police Children School 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Hajara Ahmad International School, Tudun Wada, Kano state, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests, and seizures of the past weeks.
He urged 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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