By Eseohe Solomon
In a significant interception operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted attempts to smuggle various illicit substances from Lagos to destinations including the United States, United Kingdom, and Cyprus. The seized items, concealed ingeniously within everyday items like shoe soles and clothing, underscore the agency’s ongoing battle against international drug trafficking.
Operatives uncovered over 250 grams of cocaine ingeniously hidden in custom-made shoe soles intended for Cyprus. Additionally, more than five kilograms of opioids, including tramadol, pentazocine injection, morphine sulphate, and ketamine injection destined for the US and UK, were discovered concealed within clothes and household goods bound for shipment.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, emphasized the scope of the operation in a statement released Sunday. He detailed another seizure involving 440 grams of “Loud,” a synthetic cannabis strain originating from Canada and intercepted at a Lagos logistics company.
Further demonstrating the agency’s effectiveness, NDLEA operatives in Edo state apprehended suspects and confiscated a substantial quantity of drugs. In one instance, a vehicle at Ewu junction yielded 3,000 tramadol pills hidden within custard powder. The suspect confessed to procuring the drugs in Onitsha with intentions to distribute them in Mararaba, Abuja.
In a separate operation, NDLEA agents raided the Ohen forest in Abudu, Edo state, where they destroyed over 5,400 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on nearly three hectares of land. Four individuals were apprehended in connection with the illicit plantation.
The crackdown extended to Ogun state, where operatives seized 2,865 kilograms of cannabis in Afami Ibese. Authorities are pursuing the suspected owner, Umar Ibese, who remains at large.
In a significant anti-narcotics operation in Konduga town, Borno state, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, confiscated 2,455 kilograms of materials used in the production of Akuskura, a dangerous new psychoactive substance (NPS).
The agency’s efforts also reached Katsina state, where a 54-year-old individual was arrested with 47 kilograms of cannabis in Katsina town.
These operations highlight NDLEA’s unwavering commitment to curbing drug trafficking and abuse, safeguarding both local communities and international destinations from the devastating impact of illicit narcotics.
