NDLEA intercepts exported cocaine, Meth consignments
A 40-year-old Madrid, Spain-based ‘businessman’, Sherif Egbo, arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris, France, has excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilogrammes.
Egbo was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Saturday, October 14, after a body scanner revealed that he ingested wraps of illicit drugs in his stomach.
Confirming the development, yesterday, NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect was subsequently placed under observation at the Agency’s exhibit recovery room where he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilogrammes.
According to Babafemi, the suspect, in his statement, claimed he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain and is also into drug trafficking business.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) imports shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, October 16, seized a consignment of 10 cartons containing 500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, which was branded as tapentadol.
The cargo, which was shipped from India through Qatar Airways with airwaybill number MAWB 319-01227236 was purported to be a transit cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.
However, the lid was blown open through partnership and real time intelligence sharing mechanisms between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart.
Also, attempt by an intending passenger to Muscat, Oman on Qatar Airways, Ngene Chinecherem Oscar, to export 11.100kgs of skunk and 600 grammes of tramadol, concealed in foodstuffs, through the Lagos airport was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and seized the illicit substances.
In another operation, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI), attached to courier companies on Sunday, October 15, intercepted 1kg methamphetamine concealed in containers of body cream going to New Zealand, as well as another consignment of 2.5kgs of cocaine and phenacetin hidden in walls of a carton heading to Saudi Arabia.
Two more seizures: 112 grammes of Dimethyl Sulfone and 583 grammes of cocaine and phenacetin were made at another courier company in Lagos on Wednesday, October 18. While the Dimethyl Sulfone was concealed in the hollow of a motor driving shaft going to New Zealand, the consignment of cocaine and phenacetin was packed into a bottle of body cream heading to Saudi Arabia.
In Imo State, operatives on Sunday, October 15, intercepted a Mercedes Benz container truck marked ABN 418 YN parked in an isolated area along Owerri – Onitsha expressway. A search of the abandoned truck led to the recovery of 168 bags of skunk weighing 1, 854 kilogrammes.
About 1,381.3kgs of the same substance were seized in four interdiction operations in parts of Edo State, including Ekpon community, Igueben Local Council, Iguiye forest in Ovia North East Local Council and Iruekpen, Ndokwa West, where a suspect, Monday Samuel Nwocha, was arrested and Egwalor village in Onwude Local Council where the duo of Obune Prince and Chika Obi was arrested and their Audi 80 saloon car marked BEN 406 CL loaded with Cannabis sativa, recovered.
In Kano State, an ex-convict, Aminu Suleiman, 46, was arrested along with Haruna Abdurrahaman, 41, and Ojo Joseph Esezobor, 34, at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state on Saturday, October 14, while 106kgs of cannabis were recovered from them. Aminu was first arrested with 22kgs of cannabis on June 3, 2022 and convicted by the court on November 24, 2022. Four other suspects: Inusa Fugu Ali, Yahaya Musa, Abba Audu, Ali Abubakar, and Bunu Kyari were also arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Monday, October 16, for dealing in 75.3kgs of skunk.
