NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee, Others With Cocaine At Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted parcels of cocaine concealed in different parts of a travel bag brought into Nigeria by a Brazil returnee, Nwadinobi Charles Uchemadu, from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

He was arrested on Monday, December 5, at the airport during inward clearance of passengers on the Qatar airways flight following the discovery of three parcels of cocaine weighing 2.70 kilograms factory sealed in parts of his travel bag.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said at the SAHCO export shed of the airport same day, NDLEA operatives intercepted cans of powdered milk, baby food and beverages used to conceal 3.4 kilograms of cannabis going to Dubai, UAE and arrested a freight agent, Ewelike Chibuike Cyril, who presented the consignment for export.

In the same vein, parcels of cannabis weighing 6.30kgs concealed in sound systems (speakers) going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea through the SAHCO export shed of the airport were also seized on Thursday, December 8, by the operatives who initially arrested a freight agent, Joseph Obiji, involved and later the following day, nabbed another agent, Mbanu Ifeanyi Andrew, in a follow-up operation at ASPAMDA market, Trade Fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos.

At the Akala notorious drug hub in Mushin area of Lagos, no fewer than 15 drug dealers including two ladies were arrested with 1,400kgs of cannabis sativa among other illicit substances such as heroin, methamphetamine and 320 bottles of codeine syrup recovered from them during a raid of the area on Friday, December 9.

The NDLEA also raided the popular Idumota business district of Lagos Island on Saturday, December 10, which led to the seizure of 35,014 pills of tramadol, diazepam, rohypnol and 21.2 litres of codeine syrup while a targeted notorious dealer was still on the run.

In Kebbi State, two suspects: Austine Julius and Sale Yakubu were arrested on Sunday, December 4, along Yawuri-Kebbi road in a loaded Dyna Truck with 117 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1,070 kilograms concealed under bags of oranges.

The following day, Monday, December 5, another set of two suspects: Abdullahi Bala and Ibrahim Wade were intercepted along Koko- Kebbi road in a Dyna Truck loaded with 114 bags of the same substance weighing 1,140 kilograms concealed under crates of soft drinks.

Meanwhile, officers of the Directorate of Seaports Operations of the anti-Narcotics agency arrested a Malian, Dembele Ousmane, on Monday, December 5, with 32,400 capsules of tramadol 225mg concealed in factory packed buckets of custard while attempting to travel to Mali via boat at Ebute-Ero Jetty in Lagos.