The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothes.
According to the agency, the shipments were destined for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
He said the interceptions were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
Babafemi revealed that two suspects connected to the attempts had been taken into custody.
He identified one of them as Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent arrested on October 7 after 15 parcels of skunk were found hidden in 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs prepared for shipment to the DRC.
He also said a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, was arrested on October 12 at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the MMIA, Ikeja.
According to the agency, operatives discovered 2,300 pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed in frozen snails inside her luggage while she attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, United Kingdom.
The statement added that NDLEA officers foiled another attempt by a syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam concealed in female clothes to the United States through a courier company in Lagos on 16 October.
Babafemi said that in Adamawa State, operatives arrested Bello Buba at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area, with 38,270 pills of tramadol concealed in a spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic.
He noted that the suspect drove from Benin Republic to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria.
The NDLEA also reported the destruction of 53,250 kilograms of skunk grown on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State, between 12 and 13 October.
Operatives recovered 70 bags of skunk weighing 1,140 kilograms and arrested three suspects: Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20).
Babafemi said the operation followed another destruction of 17,400 kilograms of skunk on 6.96 hectares of farmland in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on 12 October.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) with 596 kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora.
He said Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were also caught with 273 kilograms of the same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on 16 October.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88 kilograms of skunk at Ona-Imeko on 15 October, while Festus Udoh (42) was arrested with 13,000 pills of opioids along Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State.
According to the agency, 74.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the store of Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo-Agu Village, Enugu State, on 18 October.
Babafemi further stated that in Lagos, 11 bags of skunk weighing 117 kilograms were recovered from the base of Ramoni Olukowi in Mushin on 18 October.
He added that during a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at Apapa Port on 14 October, operatives intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container watch-listed by the NDLEA.
Babafemi also said the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities.
He listed participating institutions as Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; and St Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended officers in the affected commands for their arrests and seizures.
He encouraged them to sustain their “balanced approach” in the agency’s drug control efforts.
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