Sunday, August 11, 2024 - The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have announced the recovery of a multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric, Kente, by its operatives in a nationwide intelligence-led operation.
NDLEA said while 2.32 kilograms of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5th August 2024, 10.494kg of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after its sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814 kilograms.
This was made known on Sunday in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director,
Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
Babafemi said that five other consignments going to the US, UK and
Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9th August
2024.
According to him, they include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing
materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine
injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of
tramadol 225mg going to Canada.
Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA operatives also recovered 21 parcels of
Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg coming from the US and meant
for delivery in Abuja at a different logistics company in Lagos.
This is even as said that NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7th August arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.
Babafemi also announced that two members of another cocaine syndicate
based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8th
August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in
a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state same day.
Announcing further details, Babafemi said: “While the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kg cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kg cocaine at Oba town.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos on Wednesday 7th
August intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing
265.25kg in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a
container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada. The seizure was
made during 100% joint examination with men of Customs Service and other
stakeholders. The following day, Thursday 8th August, the operatives recorded
yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5kg in a
container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.
“In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th August with the
support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa arrested 49-year-old
Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.200kg
in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the
consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.
“While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Tuesday 6th August with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah on Sunday 4th August.
No less than 1,230.00kg cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of
farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu LGA, Kogi state on
Friday 9th August by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while
the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of
NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of
the Special Operations Unit, Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Kogi, and Adamawa
Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operations and General
Investigations, DOGI, for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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