The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue, after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms concealed in African salad, popularly called Abacha, and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
It said Agbazue, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways, was intercepted at the airport in partnership with men of the Department of State Services on Thursday, March 28, at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA.
This was disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.
According to the statement, preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration.
Babafemi explained that she said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in the Ikotun area of Lagos, where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country.
The statement also disclosed that two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday March 26 arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba, and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
NDLEA said attempt by Okeke to bribe its officers with N5 million cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.
Meanwhile, Babafemi said a bid by three suspects, Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27, to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425 kilograms to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa State was thwarted on Wednesday March 27 by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa.
He said Ebuka and Ugochukwu were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow up operation.
The spokesman further disclosed that the drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.
In a similar development, two suspects, Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib, were arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun State, on Friday 29th March.
NDLEA operatives in Taraba recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari on Thursday March 28 with 131kg cannabis sativa.
Announcing other interceptions and seizures made by the NDLEA, Babafemi said:”In Abia State, Nwachukwu Chinedu, 28, was arrested on Friday 29th March at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato LGA by NDLEA officers. Recovered from him include 46.65kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit.
“At least, 127.5kg cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba road, Idoani area of Ose LGA, Ondo State, while a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano. The owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano road, Bakura Goni was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday 26th March in a follow up operation and flown to Kano to face charges. The consignment consisting of cannabis and tramadol weighing 73.8kg was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to Kano.
“While 278kg of cannabis going to Idoani in Ondo state was recovered during a raid at Oloma-Okpe forest, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, not less than 3,065.255kg of the same psychoactive substance was razed on two farms at Amahor waterside forest in Igueben area of the state where three suspects: James Thankgod; Wisdom James and Akpa Festus were arrested on Thursday 28th March.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for their balanced efforts in the past week.
Marwa equally applauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures.
NDLEA intercepts Qatar-bound illicit drugs concealed in African salad, dried vegetables