Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in tins of Cerelac baby food and cloths destined for the United States and United Kingdom.


The first consignment, containing 36 parcels of strong cannabis concealed in six cartons of Nestle Cerelac baby food, was recovered at the Skyway Aviation Handling company SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).


The drugs, as contained in a statement by NDLEA Director Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, weigh 18.50 kilograms, were packaged in factory-sealed tins with the substances inserted through tampered bottoms.


A freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, he said was arrested for presenting the consignment for export to the UK, while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the sender, Bello Motunrayo Folu, at her residence in Ibadan, Oyo state.


In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted five shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, including promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine, concealed in cloths and other items meant for export to the US and UK.


The shipments, weighing over 2 kilograms, were recovered at a logistics company in Lagos.
Giving breakdown of other seizures, Babafemi said, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, from the body compartments of four vehicles imported from Canada.
The seized consignments have a total weight of 38.5 kilograms, and two suspects have been taken into custody.
Two suspects, Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments, have been taken into custody.
Furthermore, Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos, on Thursday, August 1, with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup (weighing 174 liters) and 1,070 tablets of molly (weighing 600 grams).
Additionally, no fewer than 50 bags of cannabis, with a gross weight of 520 kilograms, were recovered in Isuada, Owo Council Area of Ondo State, and five suspects were arrested in Itaogbolu Forest, Akure North LG Area of the state.
The suspects in connection with the seizure of 42 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance include Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34.
In Edo State, twenty-two and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220 kilograms were recovered from Egbeta Community, Ovia North East Area on Tuesday, July 30, and a suspect, Osayede Aghoma, was arrested.
Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was nabbed on Wednesday, July 31, with 40 blocks of the same substance weighing 19.2 kilograms along the Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Kano.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan Commands, as well as those of DOGI, for their efforts in the arrests and seizures.
Marwa praised their work in reducing drug supply while balancing WADA sensitisation activities and urged them and their colleagues across the country to maintain their zeal and momentum.