PeakNews Online
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in women’s sanitary pads and hair cream containers.
The illicit drugs were destined for the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Cyprus, and were discovered at three courier firms in Lagos.
In a recent operation, 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilograms were found hidden in hair cream containers during an inspection of cargo heading to Ireland on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. This discovery was made by the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI). According to a statement from NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, an additional consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grams and concealed in similar containers was intercepted on Friday, September 6, en route to the UK.
In another bust, 525 pills of tramadol and ecstasy, hidden in ladies’ sanitary pads and destined for Cyprus, were seized on September 3. On Wednesday, September 4, 200 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injections were intercepted in a shipment of food items and herbs heading to the UK.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives seized tramadol concealed in granulated melon from Cameroon, destined for South Africa, on Friday, September 6. A separate operation at Port Harcourt International Airport led to the interception of 550,000 tramadol pills on September 2 in a cargo from Delhi, India, in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service. A suspect connected to the seizure has been arrested.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives, supported by the Nigerian Army, destroyed over 100,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farmland in Ise-Ekiti Forest Reserve. The raids took place on September 3 and 4, targeting settlements including Aba Saalaja, Aba Paanu, and Aba Arogunmatidi.
Elsewhere, two suspects, Bala Musa and Danladi Muhammad, were arrested on Friday, September 6, along the Toro-Jos road in Kaduna State with 305 kilograms of cannabis concealed in a bus. Another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, was caught with 18 kilograms of cannabis in Makarfi town. On the same day, Umar Usman and Zubairu Kabiru were arrested on the Zaria-Kaduna highway with 1,300 tramadol tablets.
Other drug seizures occurred in Jigawa, Kogi, Borno, Kano, and Taraba States, where large quantities of tramadol, cannabis, codeine, and other narcotics were confiscated. Several arrests were made in connection with these seizures, including an operation in Osun State that led to the apprehension of a suspected drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe, in Ilesa.
The NDLEA also continued its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization activities in schools, religious centers, and workplaces across the country. Notable locations included Kano State Polytechnic, Don Bosco Science Academy in Edo State, and Central Motor Park in Sokoto.
Chairman and CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their efforts, urging them to intensify their anti-drug operations.
