In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth over N2.185 billion in street value.
The operations took place at the Port Harcourt seaports, Onne, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Femi Babafemi Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA stated this on Sunday.
At Lagos airport, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with other security agencies, intercepted a substantial shipment of Loud on Friday, May 31, 2024. The consignment, packed in eight suitcases containing 320 parcels with a total weight of 164.50kg, arrived on a KLM flight from Canada via Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The estimated street value of this haul is N960 million. The suspect, Ughenu Nnaife Francis, was apprehended while attempting to smuggle the suitcases out of the E-arrival hall. Preliminary investigations revealed that Francis, a resident of Germany, had traveled to Toronto, Canada, to transport the drugs to Nigeria for an agreed fee of N6 million.
In another significant seizure, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex intercepted a container marked TEMU 6807401 on Monday, May 27.
The container, imported from India and destined for the C to C bonded terminal in Enugu, contained 1,750 cartons of codeine weighing 26,250kg, totaling 175,000 bottles with a street value of N1.225 billion. This discovery was made during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies.
Further arrests and seizures were made across the country. In Abuja, a 25-year-old lady, Blessing Thomas, was arrested with 1.0kg of methamphetamine while travelling from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State. In Nasarawa State, a 70-year-old grandfather, Muhammadu Ibrahim, was nabbed with 57.2kg of cannabis in Lafia.
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Additionally, in Ekiti State, two suspects, Suleiman Kazeem, 35, and Sunday Gbenga, 20, were arrested in Ara forest with 426kg of processed cannabis sativa. NDLEA operatives also destroyed over 4,000kg of cannabis on 1.66 hectares of farmland.
In Katsina State, 76 blocks of cannabis weighing 42kg were seized from a Nigerien national, Suleman Audu, 29, along Zaria Malumfashi Road.
These coordinated efforts across various states highlight the agency’s relentless war against drug abuse and trafficking.
NDLEA’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Katsina, and FCT Commands for their diligence and successful operations.
He noted that these efforts have significantly reduced the availability of illicit substances in Nigerian communities. Marwa urged continued vigilance and collaboration with other agencies to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking.
The NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities, targeting schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities across the country.
