By Kingsley Omonobi

LAGOS — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup with a combined street value of more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne ports.

The agency said the seizures followed intelligence gathering and tracking of the shipments from their points of origin.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying officers at the three ports conducted joint examinations of watch-listed containers with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

According to him, NDLEA officers at the Apapa Port, Lagos, subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination based on intelligence.

He said a search of one of the containers on September 3 yielded 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million.

The consignment, he said, was concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, Babafemi said two containers placed on the agency’s watch list were subjected to a joint examination following processed intelligence.

He said officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and three of five vehicles shipped in one of the containers.

The second container, he added, contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.

Babafemi said the container had been shipped from India to Saudi Arabia, where its history of origin was allegedly deleted to evade detection.

He put the combined street value of the codeine and Loud consignments recovered at the Onne Port at N833.2 million.

At the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on September 29 conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada.

The search, Babafemi said, led to the recovery of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.

He said the drugs were concealed in a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container.

The consignment was valued at more than N3.8 billion in street value, according to the agency.

Businessman arrested with cocaine

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80kg of cocaine to Milan, Italy.

Babafemi said the suspect was arrested on September 27 at the joint screening point of Terminal 2, ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.

He said a search led to the recovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.

The substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed 4.80kg, he said.

According to Babafemi, the suspect claimed during interrogation that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was allegedly intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.

He reportedly told investigators that he raised the money from compensation he received after sustaining an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.

20,234kg cannabis destroyed in Osun

In Osun State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk recovered from an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.

Babafemi said the operation was conducted on September 30.

In Plateau State, operatives arrested a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, at the West of Mines area of Jos North on September 29, following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.

In Lagos, NDLEA officers raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, on September 28 and recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.

The agency also arrested a 23-year-old suspect, Ekundayo Taiwo, at Ladipo Spare Parts Market on September 30 in a follow-up operation.

The arrest followed the seizure the previous day of 61g of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24g of methamphetamine concealed in an energy drink bottle and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus driver along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Methamphetamine intercepted in Kogi

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commercial bus on September 30 and recovered two sachets containing methamphetamine weighing 1kg from a waybill consignment.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.

In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, on October 2 and recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.

On the same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59g of Loud, 12g of Colorado, 19g of tramadol, 16g of methamphetamine, 4g of Swinol and 4g of Molly.

Fugitive arrested after six years

The agency also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, who allegedly evaded arrest for six years after jumping bail.

Kurra was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.

According to the NDLEA, he had been granted bail in December 2020 but subsequently absconded and remained at large until his arrest on September 29.

Meanwhile, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

The agency said the activities included enlightenment lectures at St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State, among others.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Tin Can, Port Harcourt Ports, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Plateau and Osun Commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.

Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain efforts against drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.