NDLEA intercepts cocaine, opioid shipments in prayer beads, others
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted Cocaine, Tramadol, Loud, Molly and other illicit drugs concealed in prayer beads, packs of board games, and female cclothes bound for the United States, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland, and United Arab Emirates.
The desperate bids by drug trafficking organisations was thwarted by operatives at some logistics firms and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.
Operatives at the airport on March 8, arrested a 43-year-old businesswoman, Jakpor Egware May on her way to Italy with 190 parcels of tramadol 225mg and another parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis, which she bought with the intention to resell them there.
Similarly, on March 11 at the export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers arrested 60-year-old Yahaya Fatai Ayinla while attempting to ship a cargo containing cloths used to conceal 400grams of skunk to New York.
“At some logistics companies in Lagos, efforts by drug traffickers to export over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, Tramadol 365mg, 225mg 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.
“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,” the agency said in a statement by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
The Agency also said its operatives in Kano have seized 727 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 479kg from a 40-year-old suspect, Hassan Haruna. The suspect was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Chalawa area of Kano on March 12.
The operatives also on March 11, intercepted no fewer than 58,300 pills of tramadol along Kabba-Obajana highway being conveyed from Lagos in a commercial bus to Abuja.
“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 at 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 state, NDLEA officers on Friday 14th March arrested Polycarp Adeku, 35, at Bente road, Kurmi LGA, with 15.77Kg skunk, while 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.
“Not less than nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure in Osogbo and Ile-Ife during follow up operations.”
The agency also said it arrested 58-year-old Ade Esan, alias Pastor, on March 11 along Gwagwalada expressway, FCT, with 27,800 pills of tramadol 225mg while another suspect, Usman Mohammed, 26, was nabbed same day with various quantities of skunk and cocaine at Wuse zone 3 area of Abuja.
“In Abia state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 15th March raided Ntigha community, Isiala-Ngwa North LGA, where a 34-year-old suspect Chinaza Nwogu (aka Young Money) was arrested with 274grams of heroin, 141grams of methamphetamine, 2.931kg of cannabis sativa, 4grams of cocaine and N753,015 monetary exhibit.”
