…Arrests 16 suspects, seizes tonnes of narcotics
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, have intercepted parcels of cocaine concealed in different parts of a travel bag brought into Nigeria by a Brazil returnee, Nwadinobi Uchemadu, from Sao Paulo via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight. The PUNCH reports.
Uchemadu was arrested on Monday, December 5 at the Lagos airport during inward clearance of passengers on the Qatar Airways flight following the discovery of three parcels of cocaine weighing 2.70 kilograms factory sealed in parts of his travel bag.
The Spokesperson for the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, noted that on the same day, operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the airport also intercepted cans of powdered milk, baby food and beverages used to conceal 3.4 kilograms of cannabis going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and arrested a freight agent, Ewelike Chibuike who presented the consignment for export.
Meanwhile, a raid operation in Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA, Delta State led to the arrest of a pregnant 30-year-old dealer, Aniekem Evelyn, as operatives recovered 1,161kgs of cannabis sativa from her warehouse.
In the same vein, parcels of cannabis weighing 6.30kgs concealed in sound systems going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea through the SAHCO export shed of the airport were also seized on Thursday, December 8 by operatives who initially arrested another culpable freight agent, Joseph Obiji, and later nabbed another agent, Mbanu Ifeanyi a day after, in a follow-up operation at ASPAMDA market, Trade Fair complex, in the Ojo area of Lagos.
The operatives also stormed Akala, a notorious drug hub in the Mushin area of Lagos, arresting no fewer than 15 drug dealers including two ladies, and seized 1,400kgs of cannabis sativa among other illicit substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, and 320 bottles of codeine syrup recovered from them on Friday, December 9.
On Saturday, December 10, another raid of the popular Idumota business district of Lagos Island led to the seizure of 35,014 pills of tramadol, diazepam, rohypnol and 21.2 litres of codeine syrup while a targeted notorious dealer is still on the run.
Also, officers of the Directorate of Seaports Operations of the NDLEA had on Monday, December 5 arrested a Malian, Dembele Ousmane with 32,400 capsules of tramadol 225mg concealed in factory-packed buckets of custard while attempting to travel to Mali via boat at Ebute -Ero Jetty in Lagos.
In Ondo state, operatives stormed sharp corner, a notorious hub in Ipele forest in the Owo area of the state on Tuesday, December 6, where they arrested Rotimi Oyekan and Precious Aluju with cannabis sativa weighing 903.3kgs, while another team of NDLEA officers arrested Babatunde Oluyara at the Igbotako area of the state, with 168.5kgs of the same substance; 6kgs of ‘monkey tail’ and various quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
Two suspects, Austine Julius and Sale Yakubu were on Sunday, December 4 arrested in Kebbi State, along Yawuri-Kebbi road in a loaded Dyna Truck with 117 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,070 kilograms concealed under bags of oranges.
Two other suspects, Abdullahi Bala and Ibrahim Wade were on Monday, December 5 intercepted along Koko- Kebbi road in a Dyna Truck loaded with 114 bags of the same substance weighing 1,140 kilograms concealed under crates of soft drinks.
