AFRICA

NDLEA Thwarts Major Drug Smuggling Operations to the US, UK, Cyprus

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have truncated plans of smuggling illicit drugs from Nigeria to United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

A press statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency. Femi Babafemi said operatives of the agency intercepted various quantities of cocaine and opioids such as tramadol, pentazocine injection, morphine sulphate, ketamine injection, among others concealed in soles of shoes, clothes and other items being shipped to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

Babafemi said while no less than 250 grammes of cocaine going to Cyprus was hidden in soles of custom-made shoes, over five kilogrammes of opioids heading to the US and UK were discovered by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) in clothes and other household items meant to be shipped through some courier firms in Lagos.

The spokesman also disclosed that a consignment of 440 grammes of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis coming from Canada to Lagos was equally intercepted by operatives in one of the logistic companies.

In another clampdown, NDLEA operatives in Edo state last Wednesday intercepted a vehicle marked Abuja GWA 273 DD at Ewu junction, Esan Central local government area following credible intelligence. Babafemi said the luggage of one of the occupants, Aminu Abdullahi, 32, was searched and found to contain custard containers, where 3,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were buried in the custard powder. In his statement, the suspect was said to have claimed the drugs were bought in Onitsha, Anambra state and he was taking them to Mararaba area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to sell.

In another operation, operatives last Thursday raided the Ohen forest, Abudu area of Edo and destroyed 5,429.75 kilogrammes of cannabis on 2.918 hectares of farmlands where four suspects: Godday Ariye, 37; Friday Okafor, 59; Obinna Nwosu, 48; and Yusuf Adamu, 27, were arrested.

Similarly, 300 kilogrammes of the same substance were recovered from Uzzeba Obi camp in Owan West local government area when NDLEA officers raided the location on Saturday.

In Ogun state, operatives last Tuesday recovered a total of 2,865 kilogrammes of cannabis at Afami Ibese while the suspected owner, Umar Ibese is currently at large. At least, 2,455 kilogrammes of materials for the production of Akuskura, a new psychoactive substance (NPS), were recovered from a warehouse in Konduga town, Konduga local government area, Borno state last Tuesday when NDLEA operatives in a joint operation with men of the Nigerian Army raided the area.

The following day, last Wednesday, operatives in Katsina state arrested a 54-year-old Sabo Sule with 47 kilogrammes cannabis in Katsina town.

In Lagos, operatives last Monday raided a warehouse in VGC, Lekki where they recovered 148 cartons of non-medical nitrous oxide popularly called laughing gas; 108 cartons of fast gas cylinder; 134 pieces of balloon and 109 cartons of infusion charger, among others. A female suspect, Suliyat Abdulsalam was arrested in connection with the seizure.

Babafemi said with the same zeal, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of Edo, Borno, Ogun, Katsina, Lagos, and FCT commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities and charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the current tempo

Michael Olugbode