The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted drug consignments worth more than N5 billion at ports in Lagos and Rivers states and arrested a businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine to Italy.
The 38-year-old suspect was arrested on September 27 at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives recovered 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of the substance were allegedly hidden inside the railings of four travelling bags.
The agency said the suspect told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was intended for delivery to a partner in Italy.
He reportedly said the money was raised from compensation he received after sustaining an injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
NDLEA Intercepts Drugs At Lagos Ports
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, intercepted 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg.
The consignment, valued at N372 million, was concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons in a container shipped from Bangkok, Thailand.
At the Tincan Island Port, also in Lagos, officers on September 29 intercepted a container shipped from Montreal, Canada.
The container contained 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The NDLEA valued the drugs at more than N3.8 billion, saying they were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
Drugs Seized At Onne Port
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, operatives subjected two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist to joint examination.
Officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and three vehicles.
The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
The agency said the container carrying the codeine syrup had travelled from India to Saudi Arabia, where its origin history was deleted before it was shipped onwards.
The combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments recovered at Onne was estimated at N833.2 million.
NDLEA Operations Across States
Beyond the ports, the agency reported several arrests and drug seizures across the country.
In Osun State, NDLEA officers destroyed 20,234kg of skunk cultivated on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound in Ago Palace and subsequently arrested a 23-year-old suspect during a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
The suspect, identified as Taiwo, was allegedly linked to the recovery of 61 grammes of Colorado and 24 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a bottle of energy drink and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja Highway and recovered two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, a 29-year-old man, in Utako, Abuja.
In Plateau State, a 41-year-old man was arrested in the West of Mines area of Jos North after officers recovered 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Edo State, operatives raided the residence of a 35-year-old suspect in Ovia North-East Local Government Area and recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
The same day, officers arrested a 23-year-old man at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, 4 grammes of Swinol and 4 grammes of Molly.
The agency also said it arrested a 47-year-old man identified as Idris, six years after he allegedly jumped bail in a drug trafficking case before the Federal High Court in Jos.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-led efforts against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called for the continuation of the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention and public sensitisation.