The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large quantities of illicit drugs concealed in consolidated cargo, music speakers, loaves of bread and other items during separate operations across several states.
The agency said the operations resulted in the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of synthetic cannabis, opioids, pharmaceutical drugs and other prohibited substances.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom containing 27 parcels of Colorado, weighing 32.20 kilogrammes.
A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was subsequently arrested on Wednesday, September 9, after he allegedly arrived to collect the consignment using a secret code reportedly provided by his brother in the UK.
In a related operation involving another UK-bound consignment, operatives arrested 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, who was allegedly designated to receive 12.25kg of Colorado. The suspect reportedly told investigators that his brother in the UK sent the package to him.
The agency also recorded seizures at two motor parks in Lagos, where Colorado was allegedly concealed inside music speakers.
At Maza-Maza Motor Park, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted a speaker containing three packages of Colorado reportedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and subsequently Liberia.
A 41-year-old tour agent, Ifeanyi Augustine, and the alleged owner of the consignment, 46-year-old Obasi Ugochuckwu, were arrested during a sting operation at a nearby restaurant.
Similarly, 2.1kg of Colorado was intercepted at Iddo Motor Park while a suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was allegedly attempting to dispatch the consignment to Kano on Friday, September 11.
Beyond Lagos, the NDLEA reported major recoveries in Delta State, where operatives seized pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly.
Some of the substances were reportedly concealed inside music speakers, leading to the arrest of two suspects identified as Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi.
In Kano State, operatives raided a location in Sabon Gari and arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.
Another operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road resulted in the seizure of 1,700 tablets of diazepam concealed inside loaves of bread. A 28-year-old man, Habibu Sabitu, was arrested in connection with the consignment.
In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives arrested 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor at Katako Market, Jos, where he was allegedly found with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.
The agency also stepped up operations against illicit cannabis cultivation, destroying 4,832.56kg of cannabis, commonly known as skunk, during raids on farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Edo State.
A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation conducted on Friday, September 11.
In Ondo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, on September 9 and recovered 186kg of skunk allegedly concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car with registration number ABJ 917 FV.
The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala, was arrested at the scene. The agency said he intended to transport the consignment to Jos for onward distribution.
Meanwhile, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora, Kaduna State, with 369.6kg of cannabis.
In Bayelsa State, four suspects, including 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg.
The other suspects were identified as 44-year-old Motombo Silver, 39-year-old Pere Andrew and 43-year-old Keme Andrew.
Reacting to the seizures, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the personnel involved in the operations and urged them to maintain sustained pressure on drug trafficking networks across the country.
Marwa called on officers to continue disrupting the channels used by drug cartels to move illicit substances through airports, seaports, land borders and areas where cannabis is cultivated.
He specifically praised the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, the MMIA Command and the NDLEA commands in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano for the successful operations.
