Nigerian Anti-Drug Agency Foils Cocaine and Synthetic Cannabis Smuggling Attempts

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted a series of attempts by drug syndicates to smuggle cocaine and a synthetic strain of cannabis, known as Loud, into and out of Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and courier firms in Lagos.

The spokesman for the agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement says, agency’s operatives have seized several consignments of the illicit substances, which were concealed in various items such as incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves, and ladies’ native wears. 

According to him, the seizures were made possible through joint examinations of cargo with men of the Customs Service and thorough searches of suspects’ homes and business premises.

One of the suspects, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu, a businessman, was arrested at his residence in Lekki, Lagos, after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.30 kilograms was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport. 

The consignment, Mr Babafemi said, was hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker sets, which were brought in from Canada on a British Airways flight.

A search of Alebiosu’s home led to the recovery of more exhibits, including drug paraphernalia such as a weighing scale and cannabis potency test kit, as well as four vaping machines from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki. 

A Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also recovered from his house.

In another incident, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA intercepted two jumbo bags going to Pakistan, which contained dried hibiscus leaves, dried bitter leaves, and other food items used to conceal four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, both weighing 1.360kg. 

Further investigations led to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Queen Ogechi, who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi Promise, based in Pakistan.

At the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi Amen, who was traveling with a bag containing female native dresses. 

A thorough search of the bag the agency says, revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.10kg were concealed in the ladies’ native wears, adding that, the suspect claimed he was given the consignment for a fee of N600,000 on successful delivery in Dubai.

In another development, not less than 4.5kg of the same substance was recovered from an imported Toyota RAV 4 vehicle during a 100% search of a container marked MSDU 5656394 from Canada at Tincan port in Lagos. Two suspects, Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi, have been arrested in connection with the seizure.

Mr. Babafemi noted that, the NDLEA’s efforts have dealt a significant blow to drug traffickers operating in Nigeria, and the agency is committed to continuing its efforts to disrupt and dismantle their operations.