NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine, Opioids Concealed in Sanitary Pads, Hair Cream Containers
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers.
The agency’s Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that these illicit shipments were heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Cyprus through three courier companies in Lagos.
The agency stated that on 3rd September 2024, during a routine examination of cargoes destined for Ireland, 30 parcels of cocaine, weighing 1.1 kilograms, were found hidden in hair cream containers.
Just three days later, on 6th September, another 24 parcels of cocaine, weighing 862 grams and bound for the UK, were intercepted at the same courier company.
In another discovery, NDLEA operatives on 3rd September uncovered 525 pills of tramadol (225mg) and ecstasy (MDMA) concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads, destined for Cyprus.
A separate consignment, comprising 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs, was also seized on 4th September; this shipment was bound for London.
Furthermore, the NDLEA reported the seizure of tramadol (225mg) concealed in granulated melon, originating from Cameroon and en route to South Africa on 6th September.
At the Port Harcourt International Airport, 550,000 pills of tramadol were intercepted on 2nd September during a joint cargo examination with Nigerian Customs Service officers.
The shipment had arrived from Delhi, India, and one suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives, supported by Nigerian Army personnel, conducted a raid on 3rd September at three camps located in the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, Ise/Orun Local Government Area.
The team destroyed over 100,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated across 51 hectares of farmland.
The affected camps were identified as Aba Saalaja (23 hectares), Aba Paanu (12 hectares), and Aba Arogunmatidi (16 hectares).
In Kaduna State, on 6th September, eight suspects were arrested with various quantities of illicit drugs.
Two suspects, Bala Musa (42) and Danladi Muhammad (44), were caught along Toro-Jos road with 305 kilograms of cannabis concealed in a false compartment of a J5 Boxer bus.
Another suspect, Aminu Ayuba (24), was apprehended in Makarfi town with 18 kilograms of cannabis.
Additionally, Umar Usman (40) and Zubairu Kabiru (45) were arrested on the Zaria-Kaduna highway in possession of 1,300 tramadol tablets.
Further arrests were made in Jigawa and Kogi States. On 5th September, Uzairu Ya’u (30) was arrested with 32.6 kilograms of cannabis at Koran Shehu in Jigawa, while in Kogi, operatives intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine on 4th September.
The illicit drugs were found in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo (68) along the Aloma-Ejule road. Another suspect, Mohammed Idris (56), was apprehended on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway with 42.4 kilograms of cannabis, en route from Lagos to Kano.
In Borno State, on 5th September, Idris Muhammad (40) was arrested in Maiduguri’s Ramat area with 13,100 tramadol pills.
Meanwhile, in Kano, on 4th September, Hakilu Usman (35) was apprehended along the Kano-Daura road with 25.8 kilograms of cannabis and 3,000 diazepam pills.
The NDLEA also reported arrests in Taraba and Osun States; Musa Adamu (30) was arrested in Zing, Taraba, with 87,790 tramadol pills.
In Osun, a raid at the residence of a known drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe (a.k.a. Bishop), in Ilesa on 4th September, led to the recovery of 43 grams of crack cocaine, 23 grams of methamphetamine, 17.126 kilograms of cannabis, and a locally made pistol.
