Meth, skunk consignments concealed in tomato pastes, clothes intercepted at airport

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of skunk concealed in tins of tomato paste and methamphetamine hidden in used clothes, meant for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

These were part of seizures in the course of last which, according to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi.

The statement signed by Femi Babafemi on Sunday read that the skunk in tomato pastes consignment weighing 20 kilogrammes was intercepted last Friday at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while the meth shipment with a gross weight of 1.6 kilogrammes was seized at a courier company in Lagos.

Another consignment of 556 grammes of Canadian Loud sent from Canada to one Tunji Adebayo in Ikorodu, Lagos, he said was intercepted by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms.

He said though Adebayo was not home when operatives visited his house at 52, Aina Atoloye street, Ikorodu, he however directed his younger brother to sign for the package on his behalf. The brother was promptly arrested.

Also, NDLEA operatives last Monday raided the enclave of a notorious drug lord, Abdul Rauf (aka ‘Na God) in Akala, Mushin, Lagos, where 1,101 kilogrammes of Ghanaian Loud were recovered and three suspects arrested while the wanted kingpin remains at large.

In Kogi State, 22-year-old Agada Emmanuel was arrested with 77.4 kilogrammes cannabis last Thursday along Okene – Lokoja – Abuja expressway while a total of 369,980 pills of opioids were also recovered on the same road last Monday and the suspect linked to the seizure, Kabiru Abdullahi arrested in a follow up operation in Gombe state.

Babafemi said no fewer than 399 pieces of improvised explosive devices were recovered by NDLEA operatives from one Asana Oluwagbenga, 39, along Mokwa-Jebba road last Thursday. In his statement, the suspect said the explosives were handed to him at a park in Ibadan to be delivered to someone in Kaduna. The suspect and exhibits have since been transferred to the military authorities in Niger state.

In Ogun state, a follow up operation led to the arrest of Yinka Azeez at Sabo Lafenwa, Abeokuta on Tuesday 5th September following the seizure of 41 kilogrammes cannabis from Titilayo Adetayo at Sagumu Interchange the previous day. He said at least, two suspects: Muhammad Aliyu, 38, and Abdullahi Zakariya, 40, were arrested in Zaria-Kano Road and Haye Arewa, Hotoro, Kano, respectively over 426.5 kilogrammes of skunk seized from them last Tuesday.

He added that Onyeka Uzor, 25, was arrested at Idemili, Anambra state, with 64.8 kilogrammes skunk and tramadol, another suspect, Destiny Irabor was nabbed last Friday with over 180 kilogrammes of opioids loaded in his Toyota Sienna bus. In Kaduna, two suspects: Ahmed Yusuf and Rilwan Nura were arrested last Wednesday in connection with the seizure of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55 kilogrammes along Abuja road.

In Edo state, operatives stormed the Ekudo forest, Onwude LGA where they destroyed cannabis farms measuring 4.2 hectares. In the same vein, operatives last Thursday raided the house of one Amuodu Egwehide, 40, in Iloje Okpuje, Owan West local government area, where they recovered 22 bags of skunk weighing 261.4 kilogrammes, while a 60-year-old grandma, Mrs. Eunice Egwehide was arrested in the town same day with 17 kilogrammes of same substance seized from her.

He disclosed that Gapchiya Modu, 26, was arrested with 60 kilogrammes of cannabis along Kano-Nguru Road, Nguru, Yobe state, while in Imo state, 200 blocks of the same substance weighing 57kgs were recovered from Usim Orji, 45, along Aba-Owerri road on Wednesday 6th September.

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After over two months of surveillance, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday arrested a wanted kingpin, Idoko Ifesinachi, 40, linked to the importation of 76.9 kilogrammes Canadian Loud intercepted in a container marked MSDU6686346 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state on 2nd June. He was arrested at his hideout in Lagos and taken to Port Harcourt.

Babafemi said beside the various drug control efforts, the state Commands and other formations also continued the gency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, worship places, palaces and local communities among others. Among them include WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Highness, Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Maji; the sensitization lectures conducted for members of Hairdressers Association, Ila Orangun; at RCCG, Dominion Tower, Port Harcourt, and for Muslim faithful at Harmony Estate central mosque, Ilorin, among others.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Kogi, Anambra, Niger, Edo, Yobe, and Imo Commands of the agency as well as those of DOGI, for their balanced efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities, urged them and their compatriots across the country to keep up the good work.

Meth, skunk consignments concealed in tomato pastes, clothes intercepted at airport