Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.
The drugs, including cocaine, tramadol, and opioids, hidden in items such as prayer beads, board game packs, and women’s clothing, were seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA director of media and advocacy, said operatives of the agency arrested two suspects behind some of the aborted missions at the airport.
He said one Jakpor May, a 43-year-old woman, was arrested at the Gate ‘C’ departure hall of the Lagos airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy on March 8.
Babafemi said operatives recovered 190 parcels of tramadol of 225mg and another parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis from the suspected smuggler.
He said another smuggler, Yahaya Ayinla, was arrested on March 11 while attempting to ship a cargo containing clothes used to conceal 400 grams of skunk going to New York in the US.
“At some logistics companies in Lagos, efforts by drug traffickers to export over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, Tramadol 365 mg, 225 mg hidden in Vitamin C bottles and female cloths to the US were frustrated by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI,” the statement reads.
“Other shipments of 230grams of cocaine concealed in prayer beads, soles of locally made shoes and packs of board games heading to Saudi Arabia, Poland and UAE were equally intercepted between Monday 10th and Wednesday 12th March.”
Babafemi said a total of 727 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 479kg were recovered from Hassan Haruna, a 40-year-old suspect, in Kano.
“No fewer than 58,300 pills of tramadol were intercepted along Kabba-Obajana highway, Kogi state in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Abuja on Tuesday 11th March,” he added.
“Raid operations in Kachia, Kaduna state on Thursday 13th March led to the arrest of Idris Hamza, 21, with 4,900 pills of tramadol 225mg seized from him, just as a similar exercise in Hayin Banki area of Kaduna North LGA, on Friday 14th March resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Aminu Magaji from whom 2,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered.
“While a total of 40, 200 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered from the duo of Olowoko Faruk and Akeem Ridwan along Ilorin – Jebba expressway, Bode Saadu, Kwara state on Friday 14th March, NDLEA operatives equally seized 21,700 capsules of same opioid from a suspect Salisu Usman along Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin on Thursday 13th March.”
In Taraba, the NDLEA spokesperson said officers arrested one Polycarp Adeku at Bente road, Kurmi LGA, with 15.77kg of skunk.
He added that not less than nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure of a large cache of cannabis in Osun.
“In Osun state, operatives on Thursday 13th March, intercepted a commercial bus marked SGB 564 YS coming from Idumota, Lagos Island in front of King University, Ode-omu, with a total of 48.7kg Ghanaian Loud, Colorado and Canadian Loud, all strains of cannabis,” he added.
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