PICTORIAL: NDLEA Intercepts Europe-bound Cocaine In Sanitary Pads, Hair Cream

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus.

NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said the illegal drugs were intercepted at three courier firms in Lagos.

According to the NDLEA, in one of the logistics companies, not less than 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilograms concealed in hair cream containers, were recovered by its officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) during examination of cargoes going to Ireland on Tuesday September 3, 2024.

Also, another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grams also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in UK was equally intercepted at the same company on Friday September 6, 2024.

In the same vein, a total of 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy (MDMA) concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads going to Cyprus were seized at another courier firm in Lagos by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, September 3, while a shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injections hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, UK, was also seized by operatives on Wednesday September 4th.

The NDLEA operatives equally intercepted another consignment of tramadol 225mg buried in granulated melon that came from Cameroon and going to South Africa on Friday September 6th.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 550,000 pills of tramadol were also intercepted at the Port Harcourt International Airport, in Rivers State on Monday September 3, 2024 during a joint examination of a cargo that came from Delhi, India, with men of the Nigerian Customs Service while a suspect was already arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives, supported by men of the Nigerian Army on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th September, stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti Forest Reserve, in Ise/Orun local government area, where over 100,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farm land were destroyed.

The affected settlements include Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the forest reserve.