Desperate efforts by drug cartels to export different quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and cannabis to London, the United Kingdom, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have been scuttled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Narcotic officers of the agency had on Thursday, October 28, during outward routine clearance of cargo at NAHCO export shed of the airport, intercepted 20 parcels of Cocaine weighing 1.2kg concealed in packets of Zee black soap; 23 parcels of heroin weighing 1.4kg hidden in packets of Zee black soap and 39 parcels of 2.35kg methamphetamine concealed in Dudu Osun black soap packets.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, a similar cargo had been intercepted on 21 October at the NAHCO shed of the MMIA, where 7.35kgs of Cannabis concealed inside some tablets of Dudu Osun black soap were recovered. No fewer than three suspects have so far been arrested in connection to the seizures.
Meanwhile, barely a week after she was arrested and granted bail for attempting to smuggle drugs concealed in cassava flour meal called ‘akpu’ into an NDLEA cell for a suspect in custody, a nursing mother, who claims to be a part-time 400-level student of International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of Benin, Mariam Adetilewa Dirisu has against been arrested for trafficking in 5kg skunk and 8.1grams of Molly.
The 35-year-old mother of a two-month-old baby was first arrested on 21st October by the Edo Command of the Agency. Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), had, on the same day, directed that she be counselled and released immediately because of the young baby she was carrying. Curiously, a controlled delivery operation carried out by operatives of the Delta State Command of the Agency on Saturday, 30 October, again led to the arrest of Mariam, who had ordered for the drugs from Lagos even while still on bail for an earlier offence.
In Ondo State, no less than 1,645kilograms of cannabis were seized in three interdiction operations in parts of the state. NDLEA operatives had on 28th October stormed Emure cannabis farm camp where 313kilograms of cannabis were seized and seven suspects: Paul Godwin; Michael Nnaji; Ezugu Lucky; Omolu Sunday; Simon Taiwo; David Udofia; and M. Suleiman arrested.
NDLEA peratives had the previous day raided the Ipele-Idoani forest in Ondo State where 534kgs of abandoned compressed cannabis were recovered just as a total of 798kilograms of cannabis were seized from two suspects: Gbenga Falodun and Faseyitan Opeyemi at Ikare junction, Owo area of the state. Also recovered from them include a white Mercedes Benz truck Lagos LSR 06 XW and a cash exhibit of N20, 000.
At least, two suspected fake security agents; Umar Ibrahim and Sadiq Abubakar as well as their accomplice, Auwal Hassan have been arrested in Kogi state while conveying a total of 105.4kilograms of cannabis from Ondo state to Kaduna on Saturday 30th October in a Mercedes Benz C 180 car with registration number Abuja BWR 924 KH.
Raids at three black spots in Oshodi, Ikeja and Ogba areas of Lagos State on 23rd October have led to the arrest of a 15-year-old female SS II student of Idi – Araba Senior High School, Walaka Adams, who was arrested at No. 72 Mafoluku Road, Oshodi, with 100 grams of cannabis sativa; Sodiq Ganun, a 24-year-old wielder with 200grams of cannabis at the same address and Tajudeen Azeez, arrested at Ipodo, Ikeja, with 9 grams of Cocaine. At a drug joint in Ogba area of Ikeja, different quantities of abandoned drugs such as Molly, Rohypnol and Codeine based syrup were recovered.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Delta, Ondo, Kogi and Lagos commands of the agency for not resting on their oars, Gen. Marwa charged them and their counterparts in other Commands to remain resolute in the ongoing efforts to cut access and availability of illicit drugs across the country.
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