NDLEA detects large drug haul on Ethiopian Airlines flight and seizes cocaine worth N4.5 billion

Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos foiled an attempt by members of an international drug syndicate operating between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle a total of 845 packages of cocaine into Lagos. weighing 18.72 kilograms.

The drugs, estimated to be worth an estimated N4.5 billion, were found in two toilets of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during post-landing cleaning of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos last Tuesday.

In a statement on Sunday, drug enforcement agency spokesman Femi Babafemi said the illicit drug shipments were wrapped in nine plastic bags and hidden in garbage bins in two rear lavatories of the plane, from where they were recovered after inspection by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The NDLEA Strategic Command was alerted to the strange objects and it was revealed that no fewer than 30 suspects have now been questioned in connection with the hijacking.

Babafemi said investigations revealed that the seized drugs were transported from Brazil to Ethiopia by ingestion and dropped off in Addis Ababa by a group of couriers, while some other traffickers picked them up and tried to smuggle them into Nigeria through Lagos Airport before their attempt was made cooperation between the airline authorities and other airport stakeholders was thwarted.

The spokesman said attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.93 kilograms of cocaine, cannabis and 225 mg of tramadol hidden in body cream containers as well as works of art to Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the UK through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked NDLEA officers. Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) last Monday.

He said at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers last Tuesday intercepted 754,000 Tapentadol and Acetaminophen 225 mg tablets valued at N525 million in a specially monitored container from India during a joint inspection with Customs officials and others. security services.

In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, suspect Mujahid Hamisu, 24, was arrested with 147,000 tramadol tablets hidden in black nylon bags containing sanitary materials along the Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja Expressway enroute from Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday. while another suspect, Seun Abimbola, 47, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on the same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid in the Giri Junction area of ​​the FCT.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers patrolling the Kabba-Obahana highway arrested 28-year-old Mercy Ame in a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Abuja, while a search of her luggage led to the discovery of counterfeit naira notes worth over £4.3 million. , despite the fact that Another suspect, Shaibu Dahiru, 27, was caught in a vehicle traveling from Lagos to Katsina along the Lokoja-Okene-Abuja road last Thursday with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing a total of 27.4 kilograms.

Babafemi added that notorious drug trafficker Usman Abba (alias Timaya), who was on the watch list of the Katsina State NDLEA command, was arrested last Wednesday at the Liberty Hotel in Kofar Kaur with consignments of the Arizona variety of cannabis. On the same day, NDLEA Adamawa arrested a suspect, Augustine Dike, 31, with 50.3 grams of methamphetamine at Quarisa Hotel in Jimeta.

Last Friday in Taraba, operatives arrested 46-year-old Danlami Fakwa in Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA with 49.795 kg of cannabis while last Monday a total of 561 kg of the same substance was found in a Sienna bus in Ogbese village in Ondo State.

Suspect Kabiru Yusuf, 25, was arrested on Saturday with 51,813 tramadol and exol 5 tablets at an NDA bus stop in Kaduna, while raids in Edo State led to the seizure of 603.6 kilograms of cannabis at Farm Road, Ekiadolor and 308 .4 kilograms. of the same substance in the Uroe community.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA commands continued their war against drug abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and propaganda visits to worship centers, schools, workplaces, traditional rulers’ palaces and communities throughout the past week.

NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd), commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Apapa, Kogi, FCT, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, Taraba and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and arrests that occurred in the past week. , Chairman/CEO, NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) also applauded his compatriots in all commands across the country for strengthening WADA’s outreach lectures and outreach messages in all their areas of responsibility.

Michael Olugbode

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