The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said its operatives have intercepted consignments of cocaine and various opioids concealed in walls of cartons used to package cloths and other items going to the United Kingdom and Australia.
According to the NDLEA, the two seizures were recorded at a courier company in Lagos on Friday during examination of shipments going to the UK and Australia.
The agency stated that a total of 170grams of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels and buried in the walls of a carton of cloths heading to Australia were recovered.
This was announced in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja.
Babafemi disclosed that a wide range of opioids including: 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection were recovered from another carton which has United Kingdom as its final destination.
Meanwhile, in Delta state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday raided Ejeonu village in Ukwuani local government area where they destroyed 27,500 kilograms of skunk on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered 22.9kg of same substance while a 52-year-old suspect Ifeanyichukwu Peter was arrested in a follow up operation at Obiaruku.
Babafemi stated that a similar raid in Orogun village, Ughelli North LGA on Tuesday led to the destruction of 37,500 kilograms and recovery of 55.4kg of same psychoactive substance on 15 hectares of farm as well as the arrest of 30-year-old Godwin Vincent Osadera.
This brings the total weight of skunk destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers in the two operations to 65,000 kilograms.
While 361kg skunk was recovered and a suspect Husaini Suleiman, arrested during a raid operation at Dan Magaji area of Zaria town, Kaduna state on Wednesday.
NDLEA also disclosed that a large cache of military-grade ammunition was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna highway, Kaduna on Tuesday.
A suspect, 35-year-old Abdullahi Hassan was caught conveying the 1,989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm concealed in fresh white cassava granules locally known as garri. Both the suspect and exhibit have since been transferred to another security agency for further investigation.
In FCT Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday 11th May arrested a 29-year-old businessman Ogadi Peter who specializes in producing drug laced cakes and cookies for parties and social gatherings in the capital city. Following credible intelligence, he was traced to his home in Life Camp area of the FCT where he was nabbed while 800grams of skunk and 2.70kg drug laced cookies recovered from him.
While 181kg skunk was recovered from a suspect Aliyu Sani when NDLEA operatives raided the Ogere area of Ogun state on Wednesday, another suspect Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa, 27, was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 along Zaki- Biam road Wukari LGA, Taraba state on Thursday.
In Oyo state, two suspects: Adeleke Olamide Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25, were arrested on Thursday at Challenge II, Saki town, in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies, while a total of 1,388.4175 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on two farms on Friday when NDLEA officers raided Ago forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state.
A 25-litre jerry can of palm oil used to conceal 1.2kg pills of tramaking 225mg was recovered from Kofar Ruwa motor park in Kano on Monday following credible intelligence while a suspect Aminu Isa, 35, was arrested at Sabuwar Sharada area of the state same day with 30.5kg skunk.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, Taraba, Kano, FCT and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
