By Daniel Eteghe
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday impounded three consignments of heroin hidden inside balls and woollen carpets at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Shed, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos worth N351million.
The consignments of drug, imported from Pakistan, were detected through the help of the agency's sniffer dogs weighing a total of 29.260 kilogrammes.
The rug consignment containing 14 kilogrammes of heroine came as cargo on KLM flight while the other two consignments of balls weighing 10.230 kilogrammes and 5.030 kilogrammes were imported on Saudi Arabia Airline.
Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, vowed to incapacitate drug trafficking syndicates in the country through counter measures.
"Every drug seizure is important to us because of the value of the drugs and the fact that every seizure made advances the anti-drug campaign. This seizure is important to the country because the damage the drug would have caused cannot be quantified. Drug trafficking cartels may be sophisticated in drug concealment, but the seizures are indicators of Nigeria's counter efforts. We will not relent in protecting the country from the activities of drug traffickers", Giade stressed.
According to Giade, investigation is on-going to unravel the cartel behind the shipments of narcotics.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, pointed out that the goods were abandoned by the importers as soon as they arrived the airport, adding that the officials of the agency had to tear the consignment to uncover the drugs.
"The drug was factory packed in the cartons containing the balls. The rug concealment was also factory packed because we had to tear and unfasten to recover the drugs. Four rugs were found to contain heroin. So far, no arrest has been made but the cases are under investigation" Hamza explained.
Vanguard Nigeria
People can be so desperateAll in the name of money
make God da expose them small small
These drug cartels would stop at nothing to push drug.
The rate at which people look for money is very bad. Everyone is desperate