The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has discovered illegal drugs concealed in a wooden statue and imported vehicles.
Within Nigeria reports that the Agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the consignments were intended for export to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
They were discovered at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, MMIA, Ikeja and Tincan Port.
According to Babafemi, 37.5 kilograms of such illegal shipments were seized last week.
Eleven people were arrested in Kaduna, Kano and Lagos during interception operations that resulted in the seizure of almost four tons of skunk.
The statement reads: “At the Lagos airport, cargo agent Ogunsina Damilare was arrested on Friday 6th January following an attempt to transport 1.5kg of skunks hidden in food to Dubai, UAE through SAHCO’s MMIA shipping outlet.
“A similar attempt to ship 11.5kg of the same substance to the UK was frustrated when the shipment concealed in a giant wooden sculpture was intercepted by NDLEA officers from the Operations and Investigations Directorate (DOGI) in a courier company in Lagos.
“Curiously, the latter came from Ghana with London as its destination.
“At the port of Tincan in Lagos, a shipment of 24.5 kilograms of cannabis indica to Nigeria from Montreal, Canada was intercepted by officers while a bribe of 8 million naira was offered to NDLEA agents by the importer was secured on an account for the prosecution of the case.
“While the importer, Cedrick Maduweke was still outlawed, one of his accomplices, Steve Isioma Adigwe, was arrested.
“The cargo was hidden in a used Toyota Sienna, which arrived at the port along with three other vehicles in a container marked MSMU 5082733.
“A total of 3,672 kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered from two locations and five suspects were arrested during separate raids in Kaduna.
“Among those arrested at a warehouse in the village of Rido on Wednesday, January 3 are: Edward Emmanuel, 28; and Miracle Madu with 298 bags of C/S weighing 3,576 kg.
“Investigation has revealed that the consignment was transported from a southern state to Kaduna in a truck containing petroleum products.
“Also, two other suspects: Sunday Bassey, 29 and Jessica Daniel, 14, were caught with 96kg of the same substance in the Gonin Gora area of the state, while Sanusi Isah, 30, was arrested on Saturday January 7 in the Giwa area with over 12,000 .
Tramadol 225mg tablets and Diazepam. “In Kano, NDLEA agents on Saturday 7 January intercepted 40-year-old Kabiru Abdulhamid with 119 73kg C/S blocks in the Semugu area.
A total of 28,400 tablets of tramadol and more than 230kg of cannabis were seized during raids in the town of Festac and the Lagos Island areas of Lagos State.
“Some of the suspects arrested in the Lagos raid include: Rukayat Eshinlokun; Pelumi Alejo and Banna Mena who specialize in the distribution of illegal drugs disguised as a dispatch rider.
“In Imo State, a suspect, Amechi Moses, was arrested in a follow-up operation Friday, January 6 after the seizure of 29,800 tablets of Tramadol 225mg on a commercial bus along the Owerri – Onitsha road to Aba in Abia state.
“Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) CON, OFR, DSS commended the officers and men of Tincan, MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Imo Commands for the arrests and seizures.
“He ordered them and their compatriots across the country to turn up the heat on Nigeria’s drug cartels while balancing supply reduction efforts with drug demand reduction activities.”
