Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted attempts by drug cartels to bring 126.95 kilogrammes of cocaine and skunk concealed in herbal tea packs and imported vehicles from Brazil and Canada into the country through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the Tincan seaport in Lagos.
In a statement yesterday, the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said at the Enugu airport, an Ethiopian Airline male passenger, Eze Ikenna, 42, coming from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was intercepted on arrival at the airport at about 12:30pm last Friday, and a search of his two bags revealed 19 big sachets which he claimed to contain herbal tea but were later found to be cocaine weighing 16.2 kilogrammes
He added that a joint examination carried out on a container marked TCLU 7799237 from Montreal, Canada at Sifax Okota Bonded Terminal by NDLEA operatives attached to Tincan Command of the agency last led to the discovery of 110.75 kilogrammes of cannabis Indica concealed in two of the four vehicles in the container: a 2011 Toyota Sienna and a 2011 Honda Pilot SUV.
Babafemi said: “Deliberate efforts to cut access to illicit opioids by the agency again paid off on Tuesday when a consignment of tramadol NDLEA operatives have been tracking for some months was eventually traced to a warehouse at Greenfield estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos. When the store was opened, a total of 1,645,560 pills of tramadol 100mg, 200mg and 225mg were recovered.
“Another 60,000 pills of tramadol 250mg were equally recovered from a wanted drug dealer, Diugwu Alphonsus in Bariga area of the state same day while raids carried out in Akala area of Mushin on Wednesday 18th and Friday 20th January led to the recovery of 781.7 kilogrammes of cannabis.”
He disclosed that in Osun State, the NDLEA officers last Friday, took into custody a blind 67-year-old grandpa, Aliyu Adebiyi, in whose house they found 234 kilogrammes of cannabis at Sokoto village, Owena Ijesa, Atakumosa East local government area. He was said to have in his statement stated that a drug dealer kept the consignment with him for a fee of N6,000 per month and paid for three months upfront.
Babafemi also disclosed that a leper notorious for drug dealing, Haruna Abdullahi, 45, was arrested at Garko town, Kano last Thursday while 2.2 kilogrammes of cannabis and various quantities of Diazepam and Exol were recovered from him.
He also said no less than 370 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from a sawmill at Ilale, Owo in Ondo State when operatives stormed the industrial plant following credible intelligence, and in Edo state, 261 kilogrammes of the illicit substance were seized from a suspect, Uche Monday at Uneme-Osu, Ososo Road in Akoko Edo area of the state with another 74 kilogrammes evacuated from a bush at Okpela fertiliser community in Etsako East local government area.
“In Abuja, NDLEA operatives last Monday raided Lugbe area of the FCT based on credible intelligence that a dealer was operating in a batcher on the outskirt of the town. A search of the batcher led to the recovery of 42.9 kilogrammes cannabis, 15 grammes cocaine, 137 grammes methamphetamine, and a cash of N2,148,500, believed to be proceeds of the criminal trade,” the statement added.
Reacting to the seizures and arrests by the Lagos, AIIA, Tincan, Osun, Kano, Ondo, Edo and FCT commands in the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended all the officers involved in the operations and charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast and focused on winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.