Italy, Dubai-bound drugs intercepted in Lagos
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled fresh bids by drug cartels to export tramadol, Ecstasy MDMA and cannabis to Milan, Italy, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos State.
The operatives also seized 203, 879 tablets of various pharmaceutical opioids and illicit substances in raids across Abia, Kaduna, Yobe and Kogi states.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja, said a female passenger, Odia Emiliana Efe, was arrested on Monday, May 9, why trying to board a Royal Air Moroc flight from Lagos via Casablanca to Milan, Italy, with 1,000 tablets of tramadol 200mg concealed in food items.
He said five days after, Friday, May 13, a freight agent, Kareem Ibrahim, was arrested at the SAHCO cargo shed of the airport for attempting to export food items in which were hidden blocks of cannabis weighing 6.65kg, and 24g of Ecstasy MDMA to Dubai.
He further said, “In Abia, three trucks loaded with drugs coming from Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra, were intercepted in Aba, Abia State.
“When properly searched in the presence of the owners on Wednesday 11th May, 67,100 tablets/ capsules of tramadol and 12,650 ampules of pentazocine, morphine and dopamine were recovered.”
On the same day, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna State arrested a notorious drug dealer, Shehu Kabiru aka Dan-Zaria, wanted by the Katsina command of the agency for jumping bail.
Recovered from him included 45,000 tablets of diazepam weighing 41.5kg; 50,000 tablets of exol weighing 15.6kg; 1,500 tablets of rohypnol weighing 700g and 300 bottles of codeine weighing 41.5kg.
In Yobe State, no fewer than 7,029 tablets of tramadol, D5, and exol, as well as 1.5kg of cannabis were recovered from a drug dealer, Ibrahim Yakubu, when his hideout was raided in Nguru town on Sunday, May 8.
In Rivers State, one Chekiri Richard Obomanu was arrested at Eleme area on Wednesday, May 11, with 207.2kg of cannabis.