… AS TWO SUSPECTS EXCRETE 150 COCAINE WRAPS IN LAGOS
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7, 350,000,000.00 in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers state.
The seizure made from six containers on Saturday, 29th June 2024 was the third of such in the past four weeks following credible intelligence and diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA.
Making this disclosure on Sunday in Abuja, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, said they worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the Agency and other security agencies including the Customs Service for a 100 percent joint examination of the targeted containers.
At the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilograms were recovered on Saturday.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos have arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of terminal 2 after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on Friday 21st June.
The suspects: Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji were thereafter taken into observatory custody.
While Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662 grams in five egestions.
Further investigation revealed that Aikhomoun Daniel stole the identity of his late uncle who was once based in Germany, a decision he claimed he took to get a Schengen visa to enable him free access to Europe, while his real name is Oladapo Olanrewaju.
No less than 40.32kg of Loud, an imported strong strain of cannabis was on Friday 28th June recovered in a black Toyota Tacoma truck along Lekki-Ikoyi road when the driver jumped off the vehicle after noticing that NDLEA operatives were on his trail.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Port Harcourt Ports, Lagos, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures, and their dexterity, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) warned drug cartels that no matter the ingenuity of their modes of trafficking, the dedicated workforce of the Agency in collaboration with other stakeholders and partners will always be steps ahead to expose them and thwart their tricks.
He enjoined the officers and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
