NDLEA Intercepts Qatar-bound Illicit Drugs Hidden in African Salad, Vegetables
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Agbazue, after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.7 kilogrammes concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos
A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, yesterday, stated that the NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Security (DSS), Thursday, intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration. She said preparatory to her return to Doha, she lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos, where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country.
Babafemi also said two suspects: Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka were last Tuesday 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 grammes of Molly.
He said attempt by Okeke to bribe the NDLEA officers with N5 million cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.
In Bayelsa State, the 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 kilogrammes to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of the state was thwarted last Wednesday by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa where Ebuka and Ugochukwu were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow up operation.
He revealed that the drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.
Also arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71 kilogrammes during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun state last Friday were two suspects: Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib.
NDLEA operatives in Taraba State recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari last Thursday l with 131 kilogrammes cannabis sativa.
In Abia State, Nwachukwu Chinedu, 28, was arrested last at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato local government area by NDLEA officers. Recovered from him include 46.65 kilogrammes cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit.
In Ondo State, at least, 127.5 kilogrammes cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba road, Idoani area of Ose local government area, while a 30-yearold female suspect, Chinasa Christopher was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano.