No fewer than sixty-six (66) parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
According to a statement made available by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, said the seizure was made on Thursday based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.
According to him, the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.
Furthermore, he said the Loud consignment weighing 62.20kg was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.
Meanwhile, in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Monday 2nd June intercepted a consignment of 1,665kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.
Also, in Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway on Tuesday 3rd June arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam.
In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7kg skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
While a total of 9kg Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young ladies: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were on Tuesday 3rd June nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57kg skunk; 1kg Loud; 800grams Colorado and 302grams of methamphetamine.
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The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Katsina; Fountain of Knowledge International Academy, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Prof. Eyo Ita Municipal Model Primary School, Calabar, Cross River; Millennium High School, Egbeda, Lagos; and Community Secondary School, Ichida Anaocha, Anambra; while Zone 13 Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Amayanabo of Nembe kingdom, Dr. Edmund Dakoru, Mingi Xii, in Nembe, Bayelsa state; among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
