The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, announced its operatives have thwarted frantic bids by drug syndicates to smuggle in and out of Nigeria consignments of Cocaine and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis concealed in incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves and ladies’ native wears through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, and some courier firms in Lagos.
NDLEA said the development followed the seizure of the illicit shipments and arrests of suspects linked to them.
NDLEA, in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday, announced that a businessman, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu was on Thursday arrested at his Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos residence after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.30 kilograms hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker set, brought in from Canada on a British Airways flight was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport during a joint examination of the cargo with men of Customs Service.
Babafemi disclosed that a search of the suspect’s home also led to the recovery of more exhibits including some drug paraphernalia, such as, weighing scale, and cannabis potency test kit, while four vaping machines were recovered from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki.
He also said that a Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also recovered from his house.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives, in the same vein, at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Friday 19th July intercepted two jumbo bags going to Pakistan.
Babafemi said the bags contained dried hibiscus leaves, dried bitter leaves and other food items, which were used to conceal four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, both weighing 1.360kg.
He stated that further investigations led to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Queen Ogechi who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi Promise based in the South Asia country.
Also at the Lagos airport, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, on Thursday 18th July intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi Amen, travelling with a bag containing some female native dresses.
He explained that the suspect was going to Dubai via Accra, Ghana on an Air Peace Airline flight and a connecting flight to Dubai, UAE on Emirates Airline. A thorough search of the bag revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.10kg were concealed in the ladies’ native wears. The suspect claimed he was given the consignment for a fee of N600,000 on successful delivery in Dubai.
Announcing other interceptions and seizures by the Agency, Babafemi said: “Not less than 4.5kg of the same substance concealed inside the door panels and boot of an imported Toyota RAV 4 vehicle was on Sunday 14th July recovered from a container marked MSDU 5656394 from Canada during a 100% search of the container at Tincan port in Lagos. Two suspects: Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
