NDLEA intercepts hard drugs weighing 46.637 kilograms in 7 states

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has recovered 46.637 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in seven states across Nigeria.

Mr Femi Babafemi, Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA,  made this known in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

The seven states are: Enugu, Kogi, Ondo, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Lagos and the FCT.

Babafemi said one 27-year-old Miracle Madu was arrested on Oct. 26 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu with substance suspected to be cocaine.

The suspect came into Nigeria aboard Ethiopian Airline from Nairobi, Kenya via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He said a search on Madu revealed that he had 76 foreign bathing soaps made with cocaine in one of his three bags which weighed 10.650 kilograms.

The NDLEA spokesman said that the the suspect also had creams made of liquid cocaine weighing 2.496 kilograms.

Babafemi added that a further search showed two plastic bottles containing liquid which tested positive for cocaine.

“The cocaine in the soap weighed 10.650 kilograms, while that in the liquid and cream weighed 2.496 kilograms, making it 13.146 kilograms,” he said.

The agency spokesperson also said operatives on stop and search operation along Okene-Abuja highway, intercepted a Chisco branded bus coming from Lagos to Abuja on Oct. 27.

“The bus was with a consignment of 32.9kgs Meth packaged as tubers of yam, 376 grams of cocaine and 215 grams of heroin.

“While the bus driver, Pascal Nmaram was promptly arrested, a follow up operation in Abuja same day led to the arrest of the recipient of the illicit cargo, Ikenna Akunne.

“The suspect confessed he was detailed to travel with the consignment to Spain the following day being Oct. 28 through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja,” he said.

Babafemi disclosed that operatives of the Kogi Command of the agency have destroyed five hectares of cannabis farms at Agbonkete, Iyaya Camp, Igalamela-Odolu areas of the state.

He said that one Augustine Agbenyo, 34, was arrested with three bags containing fresh dried leaves and stems of  substance suspected to be cannabis.

In Lagos, Babafemi disclosed that operatives of the agency seized 146,000 pills of Tramadol weighing 225mg in a buy and bust operation in Oshodi area on Oct. 25.

“In the FCT, operatives on patrol along Kwali-Abuja highway on Oct. 24, intercepted a truck with 915.8 kilograms of cannabis and arrested three suspects: Kabiru Ibrahim, 40; Muhammad Muawiyya, 30, and Adamu Adamu, 24.

“In Adamawa, operatives arrested two trans-border traffickers, Abdullahi Mamuda (aka Mama) and Aliyu Abdullahi (aka Garga) at Skylight Hotel in Jambutu, Yola North,” he said.

According to him, “A search on the ash coloured Toyota Corolla car with registration number JMT 146 TE (Adamawa), revealed they were carrying 39, 320 tablets of Tramadol weighing 225mg,” he said.

Babafemi said that preliminary investigation showed that the trans-border traffickers took off from Onitsha in Anambra and travelled to Jimeta, Adamawa enroute Cameroun before their arrest.

In Ondo State, he said that the agency stormed a two-bedroom bungalow in Uso Community on Oct. 28, where they arrested one Okon Etim, 45, with 12 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 207kgs. (NAN)