By Treasure Moses
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a 70-year-old grandfather in Nasarawa State with 57.2kg of cannabis and seized N2.1 billion in codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, at the Port Harcourt seaports and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
In Ekiti State, anti-drug agents also apprehended two suspects in possession of 426kg of cannabis. The developments were announced on Sunday in a statement signed by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. The anti-narcotics agency also made arrests in the FCT, Katsina, and Nasarawa states.
The statement read, “Large consignments of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis worth over N2.1 billion in street value have been intercepted at the Port Harcourt seaports, Onne and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
“On Friday, May 31, 2024, NDLEA officers also intercepted a large consignment of Loud, packed in eight suitcases, containing 320 parcels with a total weight of 164.50kg of the strong psychoactive substance arriving from Canada on a KLM flight via Amsterdam, Netherlands. “The consignment estimated to be worth N960m which was brought in by a passenger, Ughenu Nnaife Francis, was discovered at the E-arrival hall of the airport by personnel of the NDLEA, customs and others during a joint search operation by the security operatives while the suspect was attempting to smuggle the suitcases out of the hall.”
According to the statement, the suspect seized at the Lagos airport stated he was hired to transfer drugs from Canada to Nigeria for a cost of N6 million. The guy claimed to be a German resident but had traveled to Toronto to acquire the narcotics.
He was apprehended with a massive consignment of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain worth N960 million. Meanwhile, NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex confiscated a container from India containing 1,750 cartons of codeine weighing 26,250kg and worth N1.225 billion.
The container, labelled TEMU 6807401, was bound for Enugu and was discovered during a combined investigation by the NDLEA, customs, and other security agencies.
On May 31, operators detained Blessing Thomas, a 25-year-old woman, in Abuja after discovering 1kg of methamphetamine in her hands. She was traveling by bus from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, when she was stopped on the Kwali-Gwagwalada Expressway.
“In the same vein, on Wednesday, May 29, operatives in Nasarawa State apprehended a 70-year-old grandfather, Muhammadu Ibrahim, with 57.2kg cannabis in Lafia, the state capital.”
“In Katsina State, 76 blocks of cannabis weighing 42kg were seized from a Nigerien, Suleman Audu, 29, when he was arrested by the NDLEA officers along Zaria-Malumfashi Road on Wednesday, May 29.”
