The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has intercepted a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos from an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement issued Sunday said the drug consignments worth N4,49 billion in street value were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday 29th October 2024.
He explained that the illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects.
Babafemi added that no fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.
He said: “Investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders.
“In the same vein, attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of art work to Australia, United Arab Emirate and United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, on Monday 28th October.
“At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 29th October intercepted 754, 000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth N525 million in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.”
Babafemi said in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a suspect Mujahid Hamisu, 24, was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada Abuja expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra state on Saturday 2nd November 2024, while another suspect Seun Abimbola, 47, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Giri junction area of the FCT.
Also, in Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba- Obajana highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja while a search of her luggage led to the recovery of fake Naira notes worth ₦4.4 million.