The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis worth over N2.2 billion in street at the Port Harcourt seaports, Onne and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement issued Sunday said tt the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers with the cooperation of other security agencies on Friday 31st May, 2024 intercepted a large consignment of Loud, packed in eight suitcases, containing 320 parcels with a total weight of 164.50kg of the strong psychoactive substance coming from Canada on a KLM flight via Amsterdam, Netherlands.
He said: “The consignment estimated to be worth N960,000,000.00, which was brought in by a passenger, U:henu Nnaife Francis was discovered at the E-arrival hall of the airport by personnel of NDLEA, Customs and others during a joint search operation by the security operatives while the suspect was attempting to smuggle the suitcases out of the hall.”
Babafemi explained that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a resident of Germany but travelled to Toronto, Canada to transport the drug to Nigeria.
According to him, During his interview, he claimed that he was recruited as a mule to convey the drug to Nigeria for an agreed fee of N6 million.
Babafemi added that at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, NDLEA operatives on Monday, 27th May intercepted a container marked TEMU 6807401 imported from India enroute C to C bonded terminal in Enugu.
He noted that during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies, 1,750 cartons of codeine weighing 26,250kg, containing 175,000 bottles of the opioid worth N1,225,000,000, in street value were discovered.
Babafemi stressed that in Abuja, a 25-year-old lady, Blessing Thomas, was arrested with 1.0kg methamphetamine by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kwali–Gwagwalada expressway on Friday 31th, May while travelling in a commercial bus from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa state.