NDLEA Seizes 1,274 Parcels Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

A whole 1,274 parcels of cocaine and Colorado, weighing a total of 884.09 kilograms, four pistols, 197 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 49 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 275 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition, sundry military personnel effects, and some chemicals in kegs were parts of the items recently seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Naija News understands.

The spokesperson for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, noted in a statement released on Sunday that the items seized were found hidden in household items and vehicles.

According to him, these illegal drugs were smuggled into the country from Durban, South Africa, and Canada. The interception took place at the Tincan seaport in Lagos between January 18 and January 19, 2024.

Babafemi explained that this successful operation was the result of months of diligent tracking of containers by three specialized units of the NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.

The statement added: “With the exception of 32.5kg shipment of Colorado that came in used vehicles from Canada, the rest of the items were found in two of three containers that arrived the Tincan port from Durban, South Africa onboard a vessel marked MSC RESILIENT III and discharged on new year eve, 31st December 2023.

“A suspect linked to one of the containers, UACU 5348336, bearing the 32.5kg Colorado, 41-year-old Akara Chibugo, has already been tracked and arrested by NDLEA operatives.”

In Kano, three individuals were apprehended for their involvement in the illegal possession of pharmaceutical drugs. The suspects, namely Nura Abdullahi, Tahir Muhammad Mukhtar, and Yusuf Umar, were arrested on separate occasions.

On January 14, Nura Abdullahi and Tahir Muhammad Mukhtar were caught in Bacharawa area with a total of 5,404,000 pills of tramadol 250mg. Additionally, Yusuf Umar was apprehended on January 13 in the Gadar Tamburawa area with 249,000 tablets of exol-5. This significant seizure highlights the efforts being made to combat the illicit drug trade in the region.

“In Lagos, two suspects, Ali Abubakar and Murtala Sani, were arrested at Ojodu Berger area on Tuesday 16th January with 110kg of cannabis sativa while 69kg of the same substance was recovered from the hideout of a fleeing suspect in Akerele, Surulere same day,” the statement reads.

“Not less than 2, 800 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were recovered by NDLEA officers on Saturday 20th January during a raid operation at Aleita FCT, Abuja. The suspected owner of the consignment, Jideofor Sochima, is still at large.”