NDLEA seizes N3.4bn worth of drugs, arrests fake police officer and mechanic

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized over 1.3 million tramadol pills and other opioids. They also found 6,000 kilograms of strong cannabis, worth more than N3.4 billion.

NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, shared this news in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. He said the successes came from several operations in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo, and the FCT.

Mr Babafemi highlighted that one major success was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a type of synthetic cannabis. He noted that this drug weighed 603.75 kilograms and was valued at N1.8 billion.

He mentioned that NDLEA agents arrested a suspected trafficker who pretended to be a senior police officer. This suspect tried to avoid detection at checkpoints while transporting drugs across state borders.

The 49-year-old fake police officer was caught on Wednesday, 16 September, by NDLEA operatives along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta. He had 292.48 kilograms of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.

“Investigation showed that the suspect had been posing as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a fake ID card to pass through checkpoints while carrying illegal drugs,” he said. “An accomplice, a 39-year-old man, was arrested with him.”

In Edo, NDLEA operatives raided a place on Agbor Road in Benin City based on intelligence. They caught a 45-year-old man who used his auto-repair shop as a cover for storing illegal drugs.

Mr Babafemi said officers seized 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, along with a metal box for storing the drugs.

At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container from Montreal, Canada, arrived on 12 September. It was under close watch by NDLEA operatives due to prior intelligence.

Mr Babafemi said the container went through a thorough physical examination on Wednesday, 16 September, with Customs and other security agencies. “The search revealed 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms, hidden in 31 black jumbo bags inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container,” he said.

In Niger, while on patrol on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, NDLEA operatives arrested three young suspects on Tuesday, 15 September. They had two locally made AK-47 rifles, a pistol, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition in a black travel bag.

Mr Babafemi added that two more suspects were arrested on Friday, 18 September, along the Abaji-Abuja highway. NDLEA found over 1.1 million tramadol tablets, codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and Exol tablets in eight sacks. These drugs were on their way from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Mararaba, Nasarawa state.

In another case in Lagos, a suspected drug dealer was caught on Friday, 18 September, at his home in Aguda, Surulere. He had 48,900 tramadol 225mg pills.

“Also, seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were found at a logistics company with one suspect arrested,” he said. In another Lagos operation, another suspected drug dealer was caught at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday, 17 September.

“Additionally, 154,480 tramadol capsules were seized from two suspects in the Barunde area and the Gombe main market on Friday, 18 September. Another suspect was caught along the Owerri-Onitsha road in Imo state with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday, 18 September.

Four suspects were arrested in a raid that destroyed 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo state, on Tuesday, 15 September. “We recovered at least 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis from the site for the prosecution of the suspects,” he said.

Mr Babafemi stated that NDLEA commands across Nigeria continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness programs. They took these programs to schools, worship places, and communities last week.

“The locations included: WADA lectures for students and staff at St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos, and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba state.

The Delta Ports Command of NDLEA also visited His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta state for WADA advocacy,” he said.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, a retired brigadier general. He praised the officers in Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo, and FCT for their professionalism and smart methods in these operations. Mr Marwa urged them and others nationwide to keep up the balanced approach in drug control efforts.