NDLEA arrests 35, intercepts heroin, skunk in 12 states

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 35 persons over the alleged trafficking of various illicit drugs and substances in 12 states across the country.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a consignment of 11.90kg of heroin and 500 grams of skunk concealed in deep freezers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The drugs, according to him, were part of a cargo that arrived from South Africa onboard an Ethiopian Airline via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday.

He added that the agency’s sniffer dogs were deployed to locate the area the illicit drugs were hidden in the cargo, and they immediately identified the cartons packed in the deep freezers.

Babafemi said: “A total of four suspects that played active roles in the movement of the drugs and a truck driver have been arrested so far in connection with the seizure.

“They include Dairo Quam; Oluwaseun Ogunmene; Adeleke Abdulrasaq; Bamidele Adewale and Oluwafemi Ogunmeru.

Read also:NDLEA seizes 778,190 pills of tramadol in Taraba, 3 others

“The NDLEA operatives attached to the Gate C Departure Hall of the Lagos Airport on Thursday arrested a passenger, Aigbedion Philomena, heading to Italy via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airline flight.

“When her bags containing body cream, hair attachments, drinks, and some food items were searched, a total of 1.20 kg of tramadol capsules concealed inside a gift wrapping sheet and covered with old daily newspapers were discovered.

“The operatives on the same day intercepted a commercial Toyota Camry Salon Car with registration number JJJ 756 HB (Lagos) along Ilase-Akoko Road, Idiroko.

“A total of 34 compressed jumbo size wraps of imported skunk, weighing 17kg and concealed in two cooking gas cylinders, were intercepted.

“Two suspects in the car, Benjamin Ajose, 48, and Oluwatobiloba Ajayi, 37, were arrested.

“In Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Hope Iniobong David, 42, was arrested with bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,112kg (1.1 tons) in her house at Ediene Abak, in Abak Local Government Area of the state.

“Operatives in Kogi State on Thursday, March 9, recovered 25 cartons containing 50,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 200kg in a Toyota Hiace bus, marked LAM 652 LG, Kogi, travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

“Also, in Ogun State, operatives arrested a female drug dealer, Bola Egbebi in Ota LGA with different quantities of Cannabis Sativa, Methamphetamine, Tramadol 225, Skuchies, Molly, and Codeine cough syrup.”

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