Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted multiple attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.
The seized drugs, including cocaine, tramadol, and opioids, were concealed in various items such as prayer beads, board game packs, and women’s clothing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, stated that agency operatives arrested two suspects involved in some of the disrupted smuggling attempts at the airport.
One of the suspects, Jakpor May, a 43-year-old woman, was apprehended at the Gate ‘C’ departure hall of Lagos airport on March 8 while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy.
Babafemi revealed that 190 parcels of tramadol (225mg) and another parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from the suspect.
Another suspect, Yahaya Ayinla, was arrested on March 11 while attempting to send a cargo containing clothing used to conceal 400 grams of skunk to New York, US.
“At some logistics companies in Lagos, efforts by drug traffickers to export over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, Tramadol (365 mg, 225 mg) hidden in Vitamin C bottles and female clothes to the US were frustrated by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI),” the statement reads.
“Other shipments of 230 grams of cocaine concealed in prayer beads, soles of locally made shoes, and board game packs heading to Saudi Arabia, Poland, and UAE were also intercepted between Monday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 12.”
Babafemi added that a total of 727 blocks of compressed skunk, weighing 479kg, were recovered from Hassan Haruna, a 40-year-old suspect in Kano.
“No fewer than 58,300 pills of tramadol were intercepted along Kabba-Obajana highway, Kogi State, in a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Abuja on Tuesday, March 11,” he added.
A raid in Kachia, Kaduna State, on Thursday, March 13, led to the arrest of Idris Hamza, 21, with 4,900 pills of tramadol (225mg) seized from him. A similar operation in Hayin Banki, Kaduna North LGA, on Friday, March 14, resulted in the arrest of Aminu Magaji, 25, from whom 2,900 tablets of tramadol (225mg) were recovered.
“While a total of 40,200 tablets of tramadol (225mg) were recovered from Olowoko Faruk and Akeem Ridwan along Ilorin-Jebba expressway, Bode Saadu, Kwara State, on Friday, March 14, NDLEA operatives also seized 21,700 capsules of the same opioid from a suspect, Salisu Usman, along Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin, on Thursday, March 13.”
In Taraba, NDLEA officers arrested Polycarp Adeku at Bente Road, Kurmi LGA, with 15.77kg of skunk.
Babafemi further disclosed that nine suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of a large cache of cannabis in Osun State.
“In Osun State, operatives on Thursday, March 13, intercepted a commercial bus, marked SGB 564 YS, coming from Idumota, Lagos Island, in front of King University, Ode-Omu, with a total of 48.7kg of Ghanaian Loud, Colorado, and Canadian Loud, all strains of cannabis,” he added.