•Intercepts 1.1million Tramadol tablets
A 50-year-old man, Mgbeobuna Victor Eberechukwu, was on Saturday, August 6, 2022, arrested by anti-narcotic officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu State, for ingesting 77 pellets of cocaine.
Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, August 14, 2022, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said that Eberechukwu was arrested following his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, onboard an Ethiopian airline flight.
The suspect, who hails from Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State passed out the 77 wraps of the illicit drug in eight excretions spanning four days.
NDLEA operatives also uncovered no fewer than 442 parcels of crystal methamphetamine concealed in heads of fishes packed in cartons for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates through the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The 11.90kg consignment, according to the NDLEA spokesman, was brought to the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Friday, August 5, by a freight agent, Adekunle Oluwapelumi Paul, aged 32, from Yagba West Local Government Area, Kogi State.
He was promptly arrested upon the discovery that the seven cartons he presented for export contained parcels of the dangerous drug wrapped with foil paper and concealed in the heads of hundreds of grilled catfish.
“The following day, on Saturday, August 6, another consignment containing 1.45kg cannabis concealed inside ground melon and crayfish and packed among other food condiments going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was also intercepted by NDLEA operatives who arrested the freight agent, Ajisefini Lateef that presented the cargo for export at the SAHCO shed.
The 39-year-old agent hailed from Abeokuta West Local Government Area in Ogun State.
In Kaduna State, three suspects – Saifullahi Sani, Salisu Nafi’u and Abdulrazaq Mamman – were arrested in Zaria on Thursday, August 11 with 1,112,350 million tablets of Tramadol (225mg and 100mg) weighing 38.3kg, while in Kano State, a female drug dealer, Saratu Abdullahi, 28, from Wurno council area of the state was nabbed at Hotoro with 541 blocks of cannabis weighing 245kg.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of 1,773.25kg cannabis sativa at Ebutte-Meta and Akala in Mushin areas of the state in separate raid operations between August 9 and 10.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, 86 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 43kg were recovered from a 40ft container during a joint examination with Customs and other security agencies.
The illegal consignment, seized on Friday, August 12, came from Toronto via Montreal, Canada and concealed in two drums inside a Mercedes Benz SUV in the container.
In Abia State, two suspects – Nnanna Ijo, aged 58 and Orji Uguru, 29 – were arrested on Friday, August 12 with various quantities of cannabis, heroin and cocaine at Nde-Agbai, Abiriba, a week after Nnanna was released from detention over a similar offence committed in June.
Commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Tincan, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Abia commands of the NDLEA for the seizures and arrests, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across the country to always remain steps ahead of the drug cartels.
