By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the course of the past week, arrested a businessman, Mr Molokwu Nwachukwu, who frequents China, Dubai, Pakistan, and Vietnam, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos for concealing thirty-six (36) parcels of cocaine in different parts of his check-in bags, hand luggage and two pairs of slippers, while heading to Southeast Asia.
Mr Molokwu was arrested at the screening point of the MMIA Terminal 2 while attempting to board his flight to Vietnam on Wednesday, March 22.
A total of thirty-six parcels of whitish powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine with a gross weight of 1.00 kilogram were recovered from the handles of his bags and soles of two pairs of slippers in his luggage.
NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that the suspect claimed he frequently travels to China, Dubai, Pakistan, and Vietnam, from where he imports baby wear that he distributes from his Onitsha, Anambra state base.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport have thwarted an attempt by a suspect, Mr Chimezie Innocent Nwafor to export 2.10 kilograms of methamphetamine to Brazil.
Follow-up operations led to the arrest of three more suspects linked to the consignment at Oyingbo market, Yaba, Lagos. They include Mr Ifeanyi Onu, Mr Simon Nwuzor, and Mr Omini ThankGod Peter. The meth consignment was moulded into 25 bars of local black soup called Dudu Osun and packaged in a carton for export to Brazil.
A similar attempt to export a cocaine consignment consisting of 300grams of raw cocaine and 200grams of phenacetin, a chemical agent used to adulterate and increase the volume of cocaine, concealed in packs of air freshener, going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was also foiled by NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed at the Lagos airport on Monday 20th March.
A suspect, Mr Onyeze Obiora, has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.
Another bid by an intending passenger to Reggio, Italy, Mr Osasere MacDonald, to export 500grams of tramadol 225mg concealed inside a carton of Indomie noodles on Tuesday, March 21, was equally frustrated by vigilant officers who seized the drugs and arrested him.
On the same day, operatives of the Tincan Port command of the Agency also intercepted 107 kilograms of cannabis Indica popularly known as Colorado, hidden in a container bearing four used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
A few days later, Friday, March 24, Apapa Command of Customs Service was able to apprehend and hand over to NDLEA two suspects: Ademola Adekunle and Dayo Olatunji, linked to the consignment.
Meanwhile, in Edo, operatives on the same day intercepted in Auchi, Etsako West LGA, a DAF trailer marked ZUR 378 XJ (Kebbi) with 69 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 700kg concealed under bags of fertilizer.
While the bags of fertilizer were to be delivered in Funtua, Katsina state, the cannabis consignment was to be dropped in Kaduna. Both the driver of the truck, Mr Babangida Mande, and his assistant, Mr Mandir Abdullahi, are already in custody.
Another suspect, Mr Ijarekhai Ogbewee, was arrested on Thursday, March 23 at Ishokha Quarters, Otuo, Owan East LGA, with 32kg of the same substance.
A suspected female drug dealer, Mrs Kudirat Bello, was nabbed in the Igbesa area of Ogun state on Monday, March 20, with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis, and rophynol along with N119,600 monetary exhibits.
Similarly, in Delta, 96 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 82kg concealed inside jumbo bags of cassava flour were recovered at Basket Market, Asaba, while a total of 164, 750 pills of opioids, mainly tramadol, were seized from two suspects, Mr Henry Abuchi, and Mr Daniel Ugwoke, in parts of Taraba state.
In another development, no fewer than 45 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 23kg were recovered along Okene – Abuja highway from Abubakar Muhammad in a Toyota Hiace bus coming from Lagos and going to Maiduguri on Tuesday, March 21 in Kogi state.
In Lagos, a total of 1,030.6 kilograms of cannabis were recovered from at least three suspects, Mr Bolaji Adesina, Mr Femi Ojo, and Mr Jamiu Useni, during raid operations in the Mushin area of the state.
Speaking on this, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mr Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, Edo, Ogun, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for their vigilance and excellent working relationship with other security agencies in their areas of responsibility.
He charged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars.
