- 6-year-old suspect arrested with Canadian Loud in Ekiti.
- NDLEA Chairman commends officers for successful operations.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of synthetic cannabis to the United Kingdom.
The illicit substance was cleverly concealed within a duvet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos.
The NDLEA disclosed that its operatives swiftly apprehended two suspects, Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun, in connection with the seized consignment.
The arrest was made on Tuesday, following a thorough search by NDLEA officers.
Six packages containing the psychoactive substance, weighing approximately 3.50 kilograms, were discovered hidden inside the duvet.
The details of the seizure were revealed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
According to Babafemi, Austin Balogun confessed to being paid N700,000 to transport the consignment to the UK.
However, he claimed to have spent only a portion of the money on export handling charges, using the remainder to pay for an apartment.
The NDLEA’s spokesman also announced the arrest of two additional suspects, Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun, at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu, Lagos.
NDLEA operatives raided their hideout, recovering seven liters of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant, cannabis, and opioids.
Other items seized from the duo included three locally made double-barrel rifles, one locally made double-barrel pistol, one English-made pistol, one locally made single-barrel rifle, three cartridges, one empty 9mm cartridge, and an iron-head axe.
“Another raid in Lagos on Sunday, 19th January, led to the seizure of 47 kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46 kg of Nitrous Oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, at the notorious Akala area of Mushin.
“In Ekiti, a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was arrested by NDLEA officers on Thursday, 23rd January, with 1.950 kg of Canadian Loud at Iworoko Road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives on Monday, 20th January, at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.
A total of 50,000 pills of tramadol (225 mg), weighing 36.56 kg, were recovered from him.
“A Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, with two others—Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32—were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, while 13.1 kg of skunk and 125 liters of ‘suck and die,’ a new psychoactive substance, were recovered from them.
“In Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu Council Area of Kano State, a cannabis plantation was located and destroyed by a team of NDLEA officers who arrested a suspect, Sabo Ali Muhammad, 45, linked to the farm,” the statement partly stated.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
Marwa also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitization activities in every part of their areas of responsibility.
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