The Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have announced the interception of consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids that were hidden in sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers by courier firms in Lagos. The intercepted products were reportedly heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus.
The interception was announced in a statement by the NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday; it was noted that the intercepted products include 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilograms and concealed in hair cream containers.
The statement disclosed that the products were intercepted by the officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI and a search and investigation was conducted by the agency on September 3, 2024.
In another interception, the agency noted that 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grams, which were also hidden in a hair cream container that was bound to be delivered in the United Kingdom, were intercepted on September 6.
The agency, in another operation on September 3, intercepted 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy (MDMA) that were concealed inside ladies’ sanitary pads and were bound for Cyprus. The NDLEA announced that the products were seized from another courier firm in Lagos.
The seizure continued on September 4th when the operatives announced the interception of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs. The products were reportedly being sent to London, UK.
The agency spokesperson, in the statement, further announced that the operatives intercepted a consignment of tramadol 225mg hidden in granulated melon on September 6th. The products had come from Cameroon and were being sent to South Africa.
In the south-south part of the country, the agency announced that the operatives intercepted 550,000 pills of tramadol at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, on September 2, The products, according to the agency, had arrived from Delhi, India. The operation was conducted with the men of the Nigerian Customs Service, it was further disclosed that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the interception and importation.
In the Southwest state of Ekiti State, in a collaborative operation with the men of the Nigerian Army on September 3 and 4, the operatives invaded three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve in Ise/Orun Local Government Area. During the invasion, 100,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farmland were destroyed by the agency.
The statement named the affected settlements as Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares, Aba Paanu with 12 hectares, and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve
In the Northern part of the country, the agency has announced the arrest of two suspects named Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44; the suspects were arrested on September 6th along Toro-Jos road, Kaduna. They were reportedly found with 305kg cannabis concealed in a false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM.
Another suspect named Aminu Ayuba, 24, was arrested with 18 kilograms of cannabis in Makarfi town.
In Kaduna State, the agency announced the arrest of two other suspects, Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, along the Zaria- Kaduna highway. The suspects were found with 1300 tablets of tramadol.
The operatives in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, intercepted 7,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5, as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine. The products were intercepted with Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi State.
Mohammed Idris, 56, was equally arrested along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on September 3 with 42.400kg of cannabis he was reportedly travelling from Lagos en route to Kanu.
