*Recovers tons of illicit drugs in raids across 13 states
WorldStage– The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian lady at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for bringing into Nigeria a total of 30.09 kilograms of white heroin worth over N3 billion in street value.
A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja stated that the drugs were concealed in factory sealed coffee packs.
Babafemi said that the suspect who works as a private security officer in Brazil was arrested at the Abuja airport on Friday, January 23 upon her arrival on a Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following processed intelligence.
He said that after her arrest, a search was conducted on her two checked-in bags where 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee were found.
He also said that when the coffee bags were opened, rather than containing the beverage, what was found inside were white substances that later tested positive for heroin.
This, he said, weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport.
“During her preliminary interview, the suspect claimed she brought the white heroin consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, Jan. 20 intercepted two passengers.
Babafemi said that they were heading to Istanbul, Turkey, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight with a total of 3,990 pills of tapentadol 250mg and tramaking 225mg concealed in food items packed in their bags.
Similarly, operatives of the Marine Command of the Agency in the early hours of Thursday, Jan. 22 intercepted a wooden boat loaded with 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud.
Babafemi said that the drugs, which was a strain of cannabis weighing 1,848 kilograms and intercepted at the Jakande beach in Lekki, Lagos.
Babafemi said that the shipment had barely arrived from Ghana when NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence stormed the location around 1am, recovered the consignment and the boat.
In another development, two suspects were on Friday, Jan. 23 arrested by NDLEA operatives in connection with the seizure of two bags containing 140 packets of explosives heading to Kano and Kaduna.
Babafemi said that the bags were intercepted in a commercial bus along Kaduna- Zaria highway, Zaria.
He said that one of the suspects was arrested at Karota park in Kano while the other was nabbed at Mando park in Kaduna in swift follow-up operations.
“An intelligence-led raid at Kwangila, Zaria LGA Kaduna on Thursday, Jan. 22 led to the arrest of two other suspected drug traffickers with 120 kilograms of skunk recovered from them.”
According to the statement, all Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week.
“These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Taraba state command of NDLEA conducts WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Jalingo.
“Also, the Osun command of NDLEA delivers a WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Beloved Montessori Group of Schools, Ede, Osun state.
“Owerri City Junior Secondary School, Owerri, Imo; Government Day Secondary School, Otukpo, Benue; and Darawa Primary School, Dutsinma, Katsina, among others”
RAIDS ACROSS 13 STATES
The NDLEA also said it had recovered tons of illicit drugs across FCT, Borno, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Ekiti, Edo, Kano, Delta, Oyo, Benue, Lagos and Ondo states.
A statement by Babafemi said that as part of efforts to disrupt the supply chain of illicit drugs to terror groups, NDLEA operatives in Borno state on Wednesday, Jan. 21 intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol.
This, he said, included diazepam which were concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feeds in a public transport car coming from Potiskum, Yobe.
“A follow-up operation at Bulabulin, Maiduguri led to the arrest of the owner,” he said.
The NDLEA spokesman said that a female suspect was on Friday, Jan. 23 arrested in Mokwa, Niger state in a follow up operation by NDLEA operatives.
This, he said, followed the seizure of her consignment of 78,500 pills of tramadol the same day at Bode Saadu, Kwara in a truck coming from Lagos.
“Her husband, currently remanded in prison and facing trial, was arrested for the same drug trafficking offence last year,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Ekiti, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, Jan. 24 arrested 72-year-old suspected drug peddler at his 15 Aramoko road, Mushin, Ilawe-Ekiti and another at New Jerusalem area, Erijinyan road, Ilawe-Ekiti for illicit drug dealing.
“A total of 62 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the duo,” he said.
Also, a village head and another suspect, have been taken into custody by the Edo Command of NDLEA following their arrest and prompt transfer to the agency by soldiers of the Nigerian Army 4 Brigade, Benin City.
Babafemi said that this was after a raid operation at Lagos camp Ilushi in Esan South East LGA, where 681kg skunk and 181kg cannabis seeds were recovered from them on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
In another development, three suspects were arrested in Sabon Gari area of Kano on Tuesday, Jan. 20 with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
Babafemi said that two others were nabbed at Paris lounge, Ring road, Ibadan, Oyo state on Thursday, Jan. 22 with 181.5 litres of skuchies, a mixture of skunk and other illicit substances recovered from them.
In Benue state, a female suspect was arrested at Yes Ikyuan village, Guma LGA with 210kg skunk, while a total of 254.5kg of same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect along Abaji -Toto road, FCT on Thursday, Jan. 22.
In the same vein, a total of 39,800 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from two suspects at Alaba Rago, Mile 2 area of Lagos on Monday, Jan. 19.
“No fewer than 30,003 pills of tramadol, molly and other opioids as well as 20 litres of codeine syrup were seized from a suspect by NDLEA officers along Sapele road Warri, Delta state on Thursday, Jan. 22.
“Another suspect was nabbed at Mobil roundabout, Akure, Ondo state with 1,500 kilograms of skunk recovered from him on Friday, Jan. 23,” he said.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commending the officers and men of the affected states for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the current standard of professionalism in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
