NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicates, intercepts multi-million naira illicit drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted illicit drugs worth millions of naira during a recent nationwide intelligence-led operation.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s director of media and advocacy, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that 2.32kg of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional fabric (Kente) en route the United Kingdom, was intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on August 5. He said that NDLEA also recovered 10.494kg of the same class of drug buried in heavy-duty pivot shafts en route to the U.S. at the same logistics company.

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“NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug. The total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments is 12.814kg,” he said. The NDLEA official said five other consignments going to the U.S., UK and Canada were also intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on August 9.

He listed the consignments to include, 517 grams of cocaine concealed in clothing materials, various quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills.

Babafemi said that 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada were also intercepted. He said that during a recent operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg from the U.S., and meant for delivery in Abuja.

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He said that personnel of the agency on August 7, apprehended a member of a cocaine trafficking network, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.

The NDLEA official said that the suspect was nabbed while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra.

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He said that in a follow-up operation, two persons suspected to be members of an Nnewi-based cocaine syndicate were arrested on August 8.

“This followed the seizure of their consignments in a public transport company bus at Benin in Edo. The driver of the bus was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine,” he said.