The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered several consignments of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine and other psychotropic substances in operations in Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.

Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Giving the breakdown, Babafemi said in Adamawa, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Damilu and Jambutu axis in Jimeta, Yola North Local Government Area (LGA) on Friday recovered 864,000 pills of opioids.

These, he said, were especially tramadol from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect whose Honda civic car rammed an NDLEA patrol vehicle before he escaped.

In another interdiction operation in Michika area of the state, a major methamphetamine supplier from Lagos to Mubi and Michika axis was arrested on Friday, with 2kg of the dangerous substance.

Babafemi said another suspect was intercepted with 750,027,530 pills of tramadol and other opioids concealed in a soap-laden Ford Galaxy bus marked JJM-953XD at Namtari check point on Monday, August 31.

He said in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday, recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350grams of cocaine, over 100kg of assorted tramadol grades, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of rohypnol at Gbaji area of the state.

Similarly, Babafemi said two suspects were arrested with 720kg of cannabis at Agbara area of the state.

In another development, three suspects were nabbed with 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo in Ondo to Jos, Plateau along Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi state.

Again, in Taraba, a 58-year-old suspected drug trafficker was arrested along Zaki-Biam road in Wukari LGA with a cocktail of over 109kg of tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, exol-5, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin.

“It was being conveyed in his Toyota Corolla car marked KUJ-333BT from Onitsha, Anambra state to Yola, Adamawa state,” he said.

In the same vein, a truck loaded with bags of cement was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along the Zaria-Kano expressway with 1,179kg of skunk recovered.

Babafemi said a suspect was also arrested by NDLEA operatives in Bauchi in a follow up operation following the seizure of 322.5kg of cannabis at Deba town, Gombe state on Tuesday.

Additionally, in Ekiti state, two suspects were arrested after NDLEA operatives uncovered and destroyed a 4-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest, recovering 117kg of already-harvested skunk.

Babafemi said on Saturday, a 20-year-old suspected drug peddler was arrested at Ugbema Junction, Enugu with 40,590 capsules of tramadol.

Also, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested a convicted cocaine trafficker, who allegedly disguised himself as a herbal tea merchant, in a coordinated operation across the country.

Babafemi, in the statement, said the suspect was behind the shipment of cocaine to Saudi Arabia through Lagos.

Babafemi said the arrests followed the interception of a 1.2kg cocaine consignment concealed in phone chargers and destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at a courier company in Lagos on July 31.

He said operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in NDLEA successfully tracked the mastermind through painstaking intelligence-led operations.

“The suspect was arrested in a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, Ojo area of Lagos, on Friday, September 4 while posing as a herbal tea businessman.

“The suspect was identified as a 34-year-old man. In his statement, he admitted being the mastermind of some illicit drug shipments in the past.

“The suspect also stated that he discarded his telephone SIM card once he learnt his latest consignment had been intercepted by the NDLEA,”he said.

Babafemi said further investigation revealed the suspect was no stranger to the agency, adding that he was first arrested in 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

This, he said, was after ingesting 900grams of cocaine and 130grams of heroin in an attempt to fly to Austria under the name Dunu Chukwuyenre Enoch.

“He was prosecuted for the crime, convicted and sentenced to five years in jail. He thereafter changed his name to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu and returned to the criminal trade.

“A search of his residence located at 6 Yemishola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos on Friday, September 4 led to the recovery of phone chargers similar to those used to conceal the intercepted cocaine, with their internal components removed to create space for drugs,” he said.

Babafemi said the agency also intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment for illicit drugs.

Babafemi said the fuel tanker marked MKA 960 XC, and notorious for evading arrest in the past, was chased down by NDLEA officers.

This, he said, was along the Akoko/Lokoja expressway in Ondo state on Friday  after the driver refused to stop.

“The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko, and fled into the bush.

“A search of the tanker revealed a false compartment concealing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg alongside its legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau state,” he said.

In another development, Babafemi said operatives at the Lagos Airport recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg worth over N1.1 billion concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.

He said 57.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth over N173 million in street value were recovered by operatives of the agency.

Babafemi said the consignment was hidden inside cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore.

He said the drugs had laid unclaimed for weeks before a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies was conducted on Thursday.

“Barely a month after three suspects were arrested at Tincan Port in Lagos over the seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies, another 598.08kg (890 packets) of similarly infused cookies and gummies were intercepted on Wednesday Sept. 2, ” he said.

Babafemi said the illicit consignment, concealed in a 40-foot container, was intercepted at the port and linked to the suspects already in custody.

Babafemi said the commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities in the past week.

“These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to nursing mothers and nurses at Ibereko Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta North, Ogun state; youths of Umouji/Okwo community at Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, Abia.

“Also included were NLNG staff and concessionaires at Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal, Bonny LGA, Rivers state, among others.”

In his remarks, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa  commended the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA and Lagos commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations.

Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

He reiterated that traffickers who believe they can reinvent themselves under new identities or legitimate business fronts will continue to be tracked down.