The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and detained a businessman, his wife and two daughters over alleged drug peddling.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that their family friend was also taken into custody.

Mr Babafemi said this came after an investigation revealed that the family ran a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos involving a family friend.

“The couple was first arrested on Friday, June 13, by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in the Ojo area of the state and transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5kg of skunk.

“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in his house.

“This led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231kg of the same substance was recovered on Tuesday, July 1,” Mr Babafemi stated.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 2, intercepted a frequent flyer for drug trafficking.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect specialised in conveying goods for customers from Nigeria to Italy and vice versa.

“He was found to have hidden 7,660 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg inside food items packed among other goods he was conveying to Italy.

“He claimed that he was to be paid the sum of 800 euros upon successful delivery of the drug consignment in Italy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Babafemi said operatives destroyed 24,175 kilogrammes of skunk on 9.67 hectares of cannabis farmland at Ikaka, Oke-Ila forest, Osun.

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives had raided the area where seven suspects were arrested on July 3.

In another development, in Borno, 167kg of skunk was recovered at Gamboru-Ngala, while a total of 452kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized at Gadar Tamburawa in Kano.

Mr Babafemi said two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure on July 3.

He said NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway recovered 11,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from a suspect. He said their counterparts in Sokoto arrested a 62-year-old in connection with the seizure of 4,800 pills of tramadol 225mg.

In Kebbi State, operatives raided Bakin Kasuwa Yauri base, where they seized 312kg of skunk and 10,000 tabs of diazepam, while two suspects were also arrested with 49,930 capsules of tramadol in Taraba State.

“In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the Ewere forest in Owan West LGA where they arrested a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, 49, in one of his cannabis farms with 115 kg of processed skunk,” Mr Babafemi said.

He said three other suspects were nabbed on another farm measuring 2.050201 hectares.

According to him, a 78-year-old suspect was arrested with 14.49kg of skunk and tramadol during a raid by NDLEA operatives at Ofudua, Obubra LGA, Cross River, while three other suspects were nabbed at Ovonum, Obubra LGA.

(NAN)