NDLEA intercepts N3.3bn Meth, Loud in auto parts from Canada
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted multi-billion-naira shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud imported from Canada.
The consignments were intercepted at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday.
“For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
“While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
“The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
“The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value,” he stated.
Meanwhile, at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.456 billion in street value were intercepted from India on the 9th, 11th and 13th December 2024.
“The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments,” Babafemi added.
He said that NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has commended the personnel involved in the operations, adding that the operational successes showed that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track movements of drug barons and cartels, and their consignments.