Multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric, Kente, among others have been recovered in a nationwide operation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday while revealing that the operation was intelligence-led, noted that 2.32 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos last Monday, and 10.494 kilogrammes of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814 kilogrammes.
Babafemi added that five other consignments going to the United States, United Kingdom and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos last on Friday. The intercepted consignments include 517 grammes of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada.
He said in a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10 kilogrammes coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja.
Babafemi said in another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9 kilogrammes of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.
He also said two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were arrested last Thursday in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state the same day.
He noted that while the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865 kilogrammes cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748 kilogrammes cocaine and 514 grammes sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117 kilogrammes cocaine at Oba town.
Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos last Wednesday intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 265.25 kilogrammes in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada.
He said the seizure was made during 100% joint examination with men of Customs Service and other stakeholders, and that the following day, Thursday, the operatives recorded yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5 kilogrammes in a container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.
In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives last Thursday with the support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa arrested 49-year-old Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.2 kilogrammes in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.
While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano last Tuesday with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah last Sunday.
No less than 1,230 kilogrammes cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu LGA, Kogi state last Friday by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.
He said with the same drive, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) has urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Michael Olugbode
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