The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has captured a suspected drug trafficker who claimed to be a building engineer while attempting to take delivery of a consignment from South Africa.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the illicit drugs were concealed in pressure machines.

Mr Babafemi said the 42-year-old suspect was arrested on December 2 at Okeyson Motor Park in Enugu.

“The suspect showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside, which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilogrammes,” he said.

The consignments, he said, had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, import shed on November 29.

“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA strategic command of the agency monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes.

“Officers trailed the shipment to a logistics company warehouse outside the airport, where it was to be collected by the consignee.

“The importer, however, changed the collection point to Enugu at the last minute.

“As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow-up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments,” he said.

In a related development, he said, no fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Toyota Siena vehicle along Hildi-Askira Uba Highway in Adamawa by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of December 6

Mr Babafemi said that the vehicle’s occupants had detoured on sighting the NDLEA team and abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after a distance.

He said this after noticing the operatives were on their trail.

In another development in Ekiti, the NDLEA arrested two suspects on the  Ise-Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ.

Mr Babafemi said that the suspects were arrested while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,323 kilogrammes to Owo, Ondo State, from where they claimed the consignment would be moved to the North for distribution.

“Another suspect was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on December 6, along Idere Road, Igboora, Oyo State.

Also, in Lagos, a 65-year-old grandmother was caught on Friday by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her.

He said that a man was also picked up at Ogundana Street, Ikeja, on Thursday in possession of 4.7 kilogrammes of cannabis and 1.3 kilogrammes of tramadol.

With the same vigour, he said, commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities in the past week.

These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye, Oyo State; Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun State; Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno State; Community Secondary School, Ogale, Rivers State, among others

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of MMIA, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply and drug demand reduction efforts, were well appreciated. 

(NAN)