Illicit Drugs Worth $25m intercepted at Lagos, Kano airports

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted consignments of heroin and khat worth N10 billion (about $25m) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi said at the MMIA, Lagos, during cargo examination at SAHCO Import Shed, a freight agent had presented a cargo from South Africa with an Ethiopian Airline ET 3901 Airway Bill no: 071-40689003 for examination before NDLEA operatives attached to the beat.

He said the officers subsequently conducted a search of the cargo during which a suspected brownish substance was discovered concealed inside a red bag, popularly called “Ghana-must-go”, noting that during preliminary interview of the suspect, it was gathered that another freight agent sub-contracted the clearing job to him and eventually six suspects have so far been arrested in follow up operations, while the substance had tested positive to heroin with a total weight of 24.05 kilogrammes.

He said another consignment in the consolidated cargo has also proved to be methamphetamine with a weight of 1.25 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of illicit drugs seized in the cargo to 25.3 kilogrammes.

He said though the cargo arrived the airport in the evening of 16th April, and was only properly searched the following day, 17th, the follow up operations which last till the weekend led to a number of arrests.

The Commander, MMIA Command of the agency, Ahmadu Garba disclosed that “the heroin and methamphetamine consignments were tagged in different names to deceive our officers but we still uncovered them and neutralised their plot.”

In a similar development, the MAKIA Command of the Agency in Kano also intercepted a consignment meant for export to Manchester, United Kingdom at its Cargo shed.

A sample of the suspected substance in the consignment was sent for laboratory analysis, the result of which came out positive to khat, weighing 36 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of the llicit drugs seized at the two international airports to 61.3 kilogrammes.

Mohammed Ajiya, the Acting Commander, MAKIA Command, said further investigations is still ongoing to ascertain the true owners of the illegal consignment.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA has commended the officers and men of the Lagos and Kano airports commands of the agency for not allowing the illicit substances escape their watch either into Nigeria or outside the country.

He assured them that he would continue to do his best to improve their welfare and take the anti-drug law enforcement agency to an enviable height.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja