Abuja – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts to smuggle large consignments of Methamphetamine locally referred to in Nigeria as Mkpuru Mmiri to Malaysia and Australia
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday .
He said operatives of the NDLEA intercepted the consignments at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja in partnership with a courier company in Lagos.
According to him, the consignments were concealed in Cornflakes packs and body cream containers as at the time they were intercepted.
Babafemi said two freight agents; Nneji Anoma and Etoh Barnabas involved in the bid to export the illicit drug have been arrested.
“The nine parcels of Methamphetamine weighing 1.45kg were hidden in packs of cornflakes waybilled to Malaysia through the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 .
” In the same vein, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, of the agency attached to a courier company have intercepted a kilogram of Methamphetamine concealed in body cream containers heading to Australia.
“The drug cartels also suffered losses in other operations across Adamawa, Borno, Kogi, Ogun, Zamfara and Taraba States.
“A notorious drug dealer, Abdullahi Musa, known as Yerima Uding wanted for some past attacks on officers and men of the agency was in the early hours of Thursday , June 16 arrested in Hong town, Adamawa state.
“The 53-year-old suspect was caught with 57 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, concealed in the booth of his ash coloured Toyota Corolla car with registration number GMB 185 MF.
“He has been fingered as the mastermind of the mob attack in Hong on October 6 2020 that led to the death of an NDLEA operative and another officer now bedridden due to permanent incapacitation.
“Meanwhile, another consignment of 10 cartons of Tramadol 225mg packaged as Tramaking containing 500,000 tablets with a total weight of 407kg and an estimated street value of Two Hundred Million Naira (N200, 000, 000) have been seized during a joint examination with the Customs at the NCS warehouse.
“The consignment, which had arrived SAHCO import shed since June 6 from India via Ethiopian Airline was eventually transferred to the NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs Service.
“The previous day, Tuesday , June 14, a similar joint examination with the sister agency at the Customs Enforcement Terminal, Tincan Seaport, Lagos led to the seizure of 33 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 16.5kgs coming from Montreal, Canada.
“The drug exhibit was recovered from a 40-foot container, TRHU 7874497 containing four vehicles. The cannabis coming from Montreal, Canada was discovered in three out of the four vehicles in the container.
” In Borno State, another drug dealer Umar Musa was arrested in Tashan Kano, Gwoza local government area last Thursday with 8,000 capsules and tablets of tramadol weighing 4.55 kilogrammes, while 32.182 kilogrammes cannabis were seized by NDLEA operatives along Okene/Abuja highway, Kogi State from a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Abuja,” he said.
Acting on credible intelligence, he said the agency also arrested one Nwanbunike Chibuike, 22, with 19,576 tablets of Exol-5, diazepam,tramadol and rohypnol as well as 7.9 litres of codeine at Ogere, Ikenne Local Government area of Ogun State last Wednesday.
“In Zamfara State, a consignment of 11,660 tablets of hyponox and 6,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection was recovered from a drug dealer, Success Amaefuna at Tsafe area of the state on his way to Sokoto state, while 5,000 tablets of tramadol were seized from Darius Mbugun, 33, who ordered the consignment from Onitsha, Anambra State.
“The drug exhibit was concealed in a bag of gari for distribution in Gembu, Sardauna Local Government, Taraba State,” the statement said.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig- Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) in his reaction commended the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Tincan, Adamawa, Borno, Kogi, Ogun, Zamfara and Taraba Commands of the agency for the seizures and arrests.
He encouraged them and their compatriots across other formations to remain vigilant and intensify their offensive action against the drug cartels in all parts of the country. (vitalnewsngr.com)
