• Thursday, April 25, 2024
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NDLEA intercepts consignments enroute 5 countries

Drug trafficking as national security threat

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted substantial quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis sativa packaged for export to five countries.

The countries are Australia, China, Qatar, Ireland and Thailand through some courier companies in Lagos.

This is contained in a statement signed by the director, media and advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

The arrest, according to Babafemi, was made by the narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI). The officers, he explained, intercepted 2.9kg of methamphetamine in packs of black soup and from a toner machine heading to Australia and Qatar.

The NDLEA spokesperson further noted that the operatives also seized 600 grams of cocaine concealed in school certificates and file folders going to Australia and Thailand.

“Not less than 25.5kg of cannabis concealed in packs of Dudu Osun soap and tins of palm fruit extracts (banga) heading to China and Ireland were also seized from a courier company in Lagos, ” he said.

Meanwhile, 2, 293.324 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and cash sum of N791,100 were recovered in major raids by the operatives of the NDLEA in Ogun, Rivers and Enugu States in the past week.

Read also: NDLEA intercepts €809,860 cash consignment, Tramadol at Lagos airport

Babafemi said the operatives last Thursday raided the Abuja Water Front of Port Harcourt, Rivers, following information provided by some arrested suspects on their sources of supply.

He said that three suspects – Larry Samuel, Mark James and Happiness Joseph, were arrested at the drug hub with 339.524kg of cannabis sativa, methamphetamine and tramadol.

“Equally seized was N791,100.00 cash recovered from them while another drug dealer in the area, Uduak Emmanuel, still remains at large.

“In Ogun, a 30-year-old lady, Peace Egidigbo, was arrested with 1,863kg of cannabis sativa in Mowe, Obafemi/Owode local government area, on Wednesday.

“Also, no less than 150 blocks of cannabis weighing 90.800kg were seized from the cargo compartment of a bus owned by a transport company along Orji River via Onitsha Express Road, Enugu State,” he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, as charging the officers and men of DOGI, Rivers, Ogun and Enugu commands of the agency, to further raise the bar in their operational feats.