Consignments of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Ecstasy (Designer drug) and Cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The psychoactive substances were recovered at the new terminal of the airport on Friday, April 14 following the arrest of a passenger, Joshia Sunday who was travelling on a Qatar Airline flight via Doha to Oman, Middle East.
A thorough search of the suspect’s two black bags led to the discovery of 4.80 kilograms of cannabis concealed in three winter jackets and various quantities of Tramadol, Rohypnol, and Ecstasy (Designer drug) hidden in bottles of body lotion. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect came into Nigeria from Oman on April 7, and was returning exactly a week after.
In the same vein, a Lagos-based businessman, Cyril Chidiebere was last Friday arrested along with two of his freight agents – Mejabi Peter Sunday and Oyeyinka Babatunde – over their involvement in the importation of twelve (12) parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 6.50kg, which was part of a consolidated cargo brought in from the United States of America.
The arrest and seizure followed a three-day intelligence-led operation, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy for NDLEA said in a statement on Sunday.
Following the arrival of the cargo at the NAHCO import shed of the MMIA, its movement out of the airport was closely monitored in a sting operation until the actual importer, Cyril Chidiebere, was arrested in his house at Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Lekki area of Lagos.
Both Mejabi and Chidiebere have made useful statements to confirm that the latter had been dealing in illicit drugs in the past, NDLEA said.
Meanwhile, a pregnant woman, Rabetu Abdulrasak, 24, and a person living with a disability, Shehu Adams have been arrested by NDLEA operatives in Agbede, Etsako West LGA, Edo state while over 14 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and swinol were recovered from them on Saturday 15th April.
A 22-year-old HND 1 female student of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state, Isoyo Iveren Susan was on Saturday, April 15, arrested opposite the second gate of the institution for dealing in illicit drugs.
Among others, the agency recovered from 1,100ML of codeine-based cough syrup and 283 grams of cannabis. This comes as operatives in Lagos arrested two suspects: Nonso Peter, 21, and Bright Chibike, 23, with 43.4kg of cannabis at Ile-Epo, Abule Egba area of the state last Friday.
In Katsina state, no less than 1,730 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from a suspect, Bishir Sa’adu in Katsina metropolis on Sunday, April 9.
Muhamadu Yusuf was arrested the same day with 8,000 capsules of tramadol inside a commercial bus along Kano-Katsina Road.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna last Thursday raided a clandestine laboratory where mist potassium citrate was being produced in a residential apartment at 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria. The owner of the laboratory, Christopher Agodi was arrested and 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered.
Another suspect, Salisu Abdullahi, 25, was arrested along Abuja-Kaduna Road with 11.7kg cannabis concealed in two jerrycans, which he was moving from Port Harcourt to Kano.
The agency said its “operatives also on Saturday, 15th April nabbed one Atiku Abubakar, 22, on the same road with 50 blocks of cannabis weighing 28kg while travelling from Lagos to Shinkafi in Zamfara state in a commercial bus”.
It added, “Similarly, anti-narcotic officers acting on a tip-off, arrested two suspects: Aminu Saudi, 45 and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese, Ondo state, with 11 jumbo bags containing 211kg of cannabis concealed in rice chaffs. This was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in Uso forest in the state on Thursday 13th April.
“Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Edo, Ogun, Lagos, Katsina, Kaduna and Ondo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week. He urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain focused and continue the current drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts simultaneously.”