By Ibironke Ariyo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed a suspected drug trafficker, who claimed to be a building engineer while attempting to take a delivery of a consignment from South Africa.
The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the illicit drugs were concealed in pressure machines.
Babafemi said that the 42-year-old suspect was arrested on Dec. 2, at Okeyson motor park in Enugu.
“The suspect showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40kg,” he said.
The consignments, he said, had arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos import shed on Nov. 29.
“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the agency monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes.
“Officers trailed the shipment to a logistics company warehouse outside the airport, where it was to be collected by the consignee.
“The importer however changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute.
“As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments,”he said.
In a related development, he said, no fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of Friday, Dec. 6
Babafemi said that the occupants of the vehicle had made a detour on sighting the NDLEA team and after a distance abandoned the vehicle with the consignments.
This, he said was after noticing the operatives were on their trail.
In another development, in Ekiti , the NDLEA arrested two suspects on the Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ.
Babafemi said that the suspects were arrested while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1, 323kg to Owo, Ondo state from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.
“Another suspect, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on Friday, Dec. 6, at Idere road, Igboora, Oyo state.
Also, in Lagos, a 65-year-old grandmother, was on Friday, by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her.
He said that a man was also was picked at Ogundana Street, Ikeja on Thursday in possession of 4.7kg cannabis and 1.3kg tramadol.
With the same vigour, he said, commands and formations of the across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA), sensitisation lectures to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye, Oyo state; Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun state; Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno state; Community Secondary School, Ogale, Rivers state among others
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of MMIA, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts were well appreciated.(NAN)
