NDLEA Intercepts Drugs, Cash from Pakistan, Austria, Italy in Lagos

Seizes Heroin, others going to US, UK, Canada

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

About 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg and 809,850 Euros in cash were among the consignments from Pakistan, Austria and Italy that were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Also blocked from passage to the United States(US), United Kingdom(UK) and Canada by the anti-narcotics agency were various quantities of heroin and other illicit drugs.
A statement yesterday by the Spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, showed that at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company cargo warehouse at the airport, anti-narcotic officers seized 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg weighing 460.95 kilogrammes imported from Pakistan via Addis Ababa through Ethiopian Airline last Wednesday, with a suspect, Mr. Nwadu Ekene Christian, arrested in connection with the seizure.

Babafemi said that on the same day, a female passenger, Ms. Ayeki Happy, who arrived the airport from Italy on Turkish Airline flight was arrested with 69,850 Euros in cash concealed in her luggage, coming four days after another woman, Ms. Precious Idahagbon, was arrested with 740,000 Euros in cash hidden in her luggage and undeclared upon her arrival at the airport from Vienna, Austria via Istanbul, Turkey.

He noted that both cash seizures are currently under investigation to establish if they were proceeds of drug business.
Babafemi also revealed that at the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport, operatives seized a consignment of 131 parcels of cannabis concealed in packages of black soap (Dudu-Osun), during outward clearance of cargo going to the UK.
He added that this is as another consignment presented for export to Dubai, UAE at SAHCO shed was also recovered after 30 parcels of cannabis hidden in cartons of cornflakes were discovered in it.

He said not less than 6.5 kilogrammes of heroin; khat and oxycodone packaged for export to United States and Canada were seized at a major courier company in Lagos by operatives of the agency’s Directorate of Operation and General Investigations (DOGI), noting that the drugs were concealed in shoes, and carton walls.

The NDLEA spokesman in a clampdown across the country, said in Kano, a 34-year-old Mr. Nasiru Abdulrahman was arrested with 476 kilogrammes of cannabis at Kwanar Dan Gora, in Kiru Local Government Area of the state last Friday, while in Adamawa, 4,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were seized from Mr. Abdulmuminu Abubakar, 24, who was arrested at Gidan Madara, Mubi North Local Government Area last Tuesday while travelling on a motorcycle to deliver the drugs in Bukula, neighbouring Cameroon Republic.that

Abubakar, on interrogation, claimed another suspect, Mr. Fahad Mohammed, 19, gave the consignment to him.
Fahad was later arrested in a follow up operation at his home in Kasuwan Borkono Area of Mubi town.
In Abuja, two consignments were intercepted from transport vehicles in Abaji area of the FCT while the first contained 12 kilogrammes cannabis, the second has 356 kilogrammes of the same substance. A follow up operation in Kaduna led to the arrest of the owner of the 356 kilogrammes cannabis, Ayomide Adewale, 29.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Kano, Adamawa and FCT commands for the arrests and seizures, also charged them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the offensive action against all drug cartels in every part of Nigeria.