2,060 kilogrammes of assorted drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol and rohypnol has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
The drugs were reportedly seized in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Kano, Kaduna and Plateau states.
The agency said two consignments of heroin weighing 4.40kg and 550 grams were intercepted on October 6 and 15, respectively, at the cargo shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
A statement on Sunday by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the first was seized at the SAHCO import shed of the airport when it was discovered inside bags of granulated sugar and flour from Johannesburg, South Africa, via Addis Ababa to Lagos on an Ethiopian airline flight.
He said, “Two suspects, Chukwuemeka Ugochukwu, a freight agent that cleared the consignment, and one Kabiru Aminu, a stock keeper that was to collect the cargo for onward distribution to recipients, were arrested for further investigation.”
Babafemi said in a follow-up operation on October 9, one Adeoya Joy, who was to collect the luggage from Kabiru Aminu was arrested in Ajao Estate, while Enahoro Anointing,
who was also assigned to collect the consignment was nabbed in the Abule Egba area of Lagos.
Both were said to be acting on instructions from their partners in South Africa.
The second consignment discovered at the SAHCO export shed and concealed in walls of 10 cartons laced with tailoring materials was said to be heading for Malaysia via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian cargo airline, while a freight forwarding agent, Ekpe Victor, was arrested in connection with the illegal export.
Also, the agency said attempts by another freight agent, Igwe Onwukwe, to export two consignments of cannabis to the United Kingdom were foiled by NDLEA operatives.
The first attempt was reportedly made on October 15 when Onwukwe presented a carton of 16.55kg cannabis for export to UK at the NAHCO export shed, where he was arrested.
“Curiously, another consignment of 15.85kg cannabis also heading for UK and intercepted on October 20 was traced to Onwukwe as the owner, even while still undergoing investigation in custody,” the NDLEA said.
Meanwhile, two persons, Uchenna Ali, 22, and Tochukwu Eno, 20, were arrested with 302kg of cannabis when operatives raided a warehouse in Emure Forest, Owo LGA, Ondo State, on Friday, October 22.
In Kano, a 45-year-old driver, Mohammed Haruna, was arrested with 10,161 sachets of tramadol and rohypnol tablets and capsules while conveying the illicit drugs in a bus for distribution, while in Kaduna, a suspected fake soldier, Abiodun Ademoya, from Akure South, Ondo State, was arrested in Zaria with 11.6kg of cannabis.
Babafemi said, “In a most audacious move, a nursing mother, 35-year-old Mariam Drissu, was arrested at the Edo State command headquarters of the agency on Thursday, October 21, while trying to smuggle drugs into the cell for a suspect in custody. Officers on duty had, while searching the food brought by Mariam for her relation in custody discovered two cups of ‘loud’ cannabis weighing 13 grams buried inside the food (akpu) meant for the suspect in custody.”
