Seizes Heroin, others going to US, UK, Canada; recovers over 1,000kg in Kano, Abuja, Adamawa raids
At least 649,300 Tramadol 225mg capsules and 809,850 Euros in cash were among consignments from Pakistan, Austria, and Italy intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, where operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, also prevented various quantities of Heroin and other illicit drugs from being exported to the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
On Wednesday, February 16th, anti-narcotics officers seized 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg weighing 460.95kg imported from Pakistan via Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company cargo facility at the airport. In conjunction with the seizure, Nwadu Ekene Christian, a suspect, was apprehended.
On the same day, a female traveller, Ms Ayeki Happy, who arrived at the airport from Italy on a Turkish Airlines aircraft, was detained with 69,850 Euros in cash hidden in her luggage. This came four days after another lady, Precious Idahagbon, was apprehended with 740,000 Euros cash stashed in her luggage and unreported when she arrived at the airport from Vienna, Austria through Istanbul, Turkey. Both cash seizures are currently being investigated to see whether they are the proceeds of narcotics trafficking.
At the NAHCO export shed of the airport, operatives seized a consignment of 131 parcels of Cannabis concealed in packages of black soap (Dudu-Osun), during outward clearance of cargo going to the UK. This is as another consignment presented for export to Dubai, UAE at SAHCO shed was also recovered after 30 parcels of cannabis hidden in cartons of cornflakes were discovered in it.
No less than 6.5kg of Heroin, Khat and Oxycodone packaged for export to the USA, and Canada were seized at a major courier company in Lagos by operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigations, DOGI. The drugs were concealed in shoes, and carton walls.
In Kano, a 34-year-old Nasiru Abdulrahman was arrested with 476kg of Cannabis at Kwanar Dan Gora, Kiru local government area of the state on Friday 25th Feb, while in Adamawa, 4,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were seized from Abdulmuminu Abubakar, 24, who was arrested at Gidan Madara, Mubi North LGA on Tuesday 22nd Feb while travelling on a motorcycle to deliver the drugs in Bukula, Cameroon Republic. He claimed another suspect, Fahad Mohammed, 19, gave the consignment to him. Fahad was later arrested in a follow-up operation at his home in Kasuwan Borkono Area of Mubi town.
In Abuja, two consignments were intercepted from transport vehicles in Abaji area of the FCT. While the first contained 12kg cannabis, the second has 356kg of the same substance. A follow-up operation in Kaduna led to the arrest of the owner of the 356kg cannabis, Ayomide Adewale, 29.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Kano, Adamawa and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the offensive action against all drug cartels in every part of Nigeria.
