NDLEA intercepts illicit drugs worth over N10bn, recovers 401 rounds of ammunition

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted cocaine and other illicit drugs valued at over N10 billion in separate operations across the country, while also recovering 401 rounds of military-grade ammunition concealed in kegs of palm oil.

The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, operatives at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, intercepted 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons used to package food items destined for the United Kingdom.

Babafemi said the consignment was intercepted on Wednesday, July 22, leading to the arrest of three cargo agents identified as Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim.

He said investigations also led to the arrest of Kenneth Okakpu, who allegedly delivered the consignment for shipment, while further intelligence identified 55-year-old businessman and Balogun Market clothing dealer, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, as the alleged mastermind of the syndicate.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, Onuigbo was arrested on Thursday, July 23, while allegedly attempting to send another cocaine shipment to the UK.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 21, following the seizure of her 2.80kg consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight.

The agency also recovered 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg valued at more than N2.2 billion during a joint examination of cargo imported from India aboard an Air Maroc flight at the Lagos airport on Friday, July 24.

Babafemi said the seizure followed intelligence gathered by the agency.

He added that operatives also intercepted a consignment of tramadol concealed in containers of black soap and packaged for export to the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos on July 22.

At the Apapa Seaport, NDLEA officers uncovered a container carrying three vehicles used to conceal 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5 kilograms and valued at over N7.1 billion during a joint examination conducted on July 20.

In Katsina State, operatives arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Mustapha Sani, during a patrol at Baure in Safana Local Government Area after he was allegedly found with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, comprising 200 rounds and 123 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

Similarly, another suspect, Abubakar Amadu, 30, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed in kegs of red palm oil.

The agency said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Ilushi community, Esan South-East Local Government Area, where they recovered 1,286 kilograms of cannabis and 86 kilograms of cannabis seeds.

The agency also arrested two suspects, Ojore Onweze, 45, and George Agwumede, 30, in separate operations with 60 kilograms and 13 kilograms of skunk, respectively.

Babafemi said the agency’s commands and formations across the country also sustained the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities.

According to him, the awareness campaign was conducted in institutions including Government Day Secondary School, Sabon Wuse, Niger State; Government Girls Secondary School, Shekara, Kano State; and Otto Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos State.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) as well as personnel of the Lagos airport, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina commands for the successful operations.

He urged officers across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control through aggressive enforcement and continuous public sensitisation.