NDLEA arrests owner of tramadol consignment in viral airport video
• Intercepts 1,274 parcels of cocaine, colorado in Lagos, 5.6m opioid pills in Kano
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) have arrested one Okosun Paul Punitt, the owner of a consignment of tramadol in a viral video fracas at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport ( MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The illicit substance was concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements, which a staff of Pathfinder International Ltd, Ajuzieogu MacElvis Ugochukwu, attempted sending through an intending passenger on Ibom Air to Accra, Ghana, at the Lagos airport on Tuesday, January 26.
A video of the face- off between the passenger and Ajuzieogu later went viral after the vigilant passenger suspected that the consignment contained illicit substances.
Spokesperson for the antidrug agency, Femi Babafemi, yesterday, confirmed that both Ajuzieogu and the exhibit were later transferred to NDLEA on Thursday, January 18, by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) for investigation.
According to him, preliminary findings showed the parcel contained 50 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements.
A follow up operation by the agency led to the arrest of Okosun upon his return from Ghana on Friday. He has, in his statement, confirmed ownership of the drug.
Similarly, two vigilant freight agents and a traveller escaped being roped into two drug trafficking operations by desperate traffickers at MMIA.
The two agents were contacted to send a consignment of 1kg cannabis concealed in tins of Milo beverage to Turkey but chose to submit the shipment to NDLEA checks before processing the cargo. The psychoactive substance was later discovered to be hidden inside the shipment.
Also, NDLEA operatives have intercepted large consignments of cocaine and colorado, a strong strain of cannabis, concealed in containerised household items and vehicles imported from Durban, South Africa and Canada, at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos.