NDLEA intercepts Europe-bound cocaine, opioids in female sanitary towels, hair cream
By Emma Ogbuehi
Consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary towels and hair treatment cream containers heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at three courier firms in Lagos.
A release by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, indicated that in one of the logistics companies, not less than 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilograms were concealed in hair cream containers were recovered by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), during examination of cargoes going to Ireland on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grams also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in UK was equally intercepted at the same company on Friday, September 6.
In the same vein, a total of 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy (MDMA) concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads going to Cyprus were seized at another courier firm in Lagos by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, September 3, while a shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, UK, was also seized by operatives on Wednesday, September 4. Operatives equally intercepted another consignment of tramadol 225mg buried in granulated melon that came from Cameroon and going to South Africa on Friday, September 6.
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No fewer than 550,000 pills of tramadol were also intercepted at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt on Monday, September 2, during a joint examination of a cargo that came from Delhi, India, with men of the Nigerian Customs Service while a suspect was already arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army on Tuesday, September 3 and Wednesday, September 4, stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, in Ise/Orun local government area where over 100,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farm land were destroyed. The affected settlements include: Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.
Two suspects: Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44, were arrested on Friday, September 6, along Toro-Jos road, Kaduna with 305kg cannabis concealed in false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM, while another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, 24 was arrested in possession of 18 kilograms of same substance at Makarfi town. Two others: Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, were arrested along Zaria- Kaduna highway in possession of 1300 tablets of tramadol, all same day.
In Jigawa state, Uzairu Ya’u, 30, was nabbed with 32.6kg of cannabis on Thursday, September 5, at Koran Shehu, while operatives in Kogi earlier on Wednesday, September 4, intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi state. Another suspect, Mohammed Idris, 56, was nabbed along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday, September 3, with 42.400kg cannabis coming from Lagos enroute Kano.
While NDLEA operatives in Borno state arrested Idris Muhammad, 40, at Ramat area of Maiduguri on Thursday, September 5, with 13,100 pills of tramadol, their counterparts in Kano on Wednesday, September 4, nabbed Hakilu Usman, 35, with 25.8kg cannabis and 3,000 pills of diazepam along Kano – Daura road.
In Taraba, no fewer than 87,790 pills of tramadol were recovered from Musa Adamu, 30, when he was arrested in Zing, while in Osun state, a raid of the home of a drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe (a.k.a Bishop) in Ilesa on Wednesday September 4, led to the seizure of 43grams of crack cocaine, 23grams of methamphetamine, 17.126kg cannabis and a locally made pistol.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students of Kano state Polytechnic, Kano; staff of Don Bosco Science Academy, Ukhun, Ekpoma, Edo state; members of Peace Corps, Osogbo, Osun state; Council of Traditional Rulers, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state; and taxi drivers at Central Motor Park, Sokoto, among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, PHIA, Ekiti, Kano, Osun, Taraba, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Bauchi, and Borno Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated. He urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.