NDLEA Uncovers Major Drug Consignment on Ethiopian Airlines Flight, Seizes Cocaine Worth N4.5 Billion

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the bid by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilogrammes.

The drug consignments, said to be worth about N4.5 billion in street value, were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos last Tuesday.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects, revealing that no fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.

Babafemi said investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders.

The spokesman said attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.93 kilogrammes cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of artwork to Australia, United Arab Emirate and United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) last Monday.

He said at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Tuesday intercepted 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth N525 million in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, a suspect Mujahid  Hamisu, 24, was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra state on Saturday while another suspect Seun Abimbola, 47, was nabbed  by NDLEA operatives same day with 512 grammes of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Giri junction area of the FCT.

In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba- Obajana highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja while a search of her luggage led to the recovery of fake Naira notes worth over ₦ 4.3 million, even as another suspect Shaibu Dahiru, 27, was nabbed in a vehicle coming from Lagos to Katsina along Lokoja- Okene- Abuja road last Thursday with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 27.4 kilogrammes.

Babafemi added that a notorious drug dealer Usman Abba (alias Timaya) who has been on the watchlist of the Katsina state command of NDLEA was last Wednesday arrested at Liberty Hotel, Kofar Kaura with consignments of Arizona, a strain of cannabis. Same day, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa arrested a suspect Augustine Dike, 31, with 50.3 grammes of methamphetamine at Quarisa Hotel, Jimeta.

In Taraba, operatives last Friday arrested Danlami Fakwa, 46, at Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA, with 49.795kg cannabis, while a total of 561kg of same substance was recovered from a Sienna bus at Ogbese village in Ondo state last Monday.

A suspect Kabiru Yusuf, 25, was on Saturday arrested in possession of 51,813 pills of tramadol and exol 5 at NDA Bus Stop, Kaduna, just as raids in Edo state led to the seizure of 603.6 kilogrammes cannabis at Farm road, Ekiadolor and 308.4 kilogrammes of same substance at Uroe community.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Apapa, Kogi, FCT, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

Michael Olugbode

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