THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.2 million pills of tramadol at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The NDLEA also seized a consignment of heroin at the airport.
The anti-narcotics agency said its operatives at the airport disrupted the activities of a drug syndicate that operates between Nigeria, East Africa, and Europe, with the arrest of two members of the cartel.
NDLEA said that over 1.2 million pills of opioids were seized in two interdiction operations in Kogi and Gombe by its operatives.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, March 19, the agency said a member of the drug syndicate, Ejezie Vitus Ifeanyi, was nabbed during the screening of inward passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Malawi via Addis Ababa at the arrival hall.
“When a search was conducted on him, it was discovered that one of his two bags has a false bottom concealment.
“During preliminary interview of the suspect, he confessed that a member of the syndicate was waiting at the airport car park to pick him up.
“An immediate follow-up operation led to the arrest of Chukwu Franco Bright, who was waiting in a grey colour Mercedes Benz C180 coupe, marked EKY 973 GQ, to receive the drug consignment,” the Agency stated.
Photo credit: NDLEA
The NDLEA said that after his arrest, a proper search of the bag was conducted before the two suspects leading to the recovery of 3.00 kilograms of heroin.
It added that findings reveal the drug syndicate networks between Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique in East Africa and Europe.
“While Chukwu, who lives in Lagos, is responsible for the recruitment and coordination of the activities of mules on behalf of other members of the cartel based in Mozambique and Malawi, another set operates from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria,” the Agency added.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Wednesday, March 15, intercepted a jerrycan of palm oil going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The agency said that at the point of examination, it was discovered that 600 grams of Cannabis Sativa were concealed inside the jerrycan of palm oil. A suspect, Tunde Ogunbowale, who presented the consignment for export to Dubai, was immediately arrested.
According to the NDLEA, an attempt to export 2.7kg of cannabis packaged as part of dried onions to Dubai through a postal service firm was frustrated by NDLEA officers attached to the courier company, who seized a carton filled with colourful sachets of dried onions used to conceal the illicit consignment.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance