The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu, with two giant music speakers used in concealing four large parcels of methamphetamine.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the drugs weighing 2.700 kg were meant for distribution in Yola and Mubi in Adamawa and across the border into Cameroon.

He said the suspect, also known as Richard, was arrested in a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, along Ngurore-Yola road in the state on April 7.

Mr Babafemi added that the suspect was found with two new music speakers, used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and a monetary exhibit of N22,300.

“In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia, where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences,” Mr Babafemi said.

In another interdiction exercise, NDLEA officers, in a joint border operation with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Nigeria/Cameroon border, Mfum, Cross River, arrested a trans-border drug trafficker.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect, Peter Odoh, 33, was arrested with 8,740 ampoules of assorted opioids, weighing 395kg.

“They include: 1,080 ampoules of fentanyl injection, 2,160 ampoules of morphine sulphate injection, 3,010 ampoules of phenobarbital sulphate injection.

“Others are 2,160 ampoules of pethidine injection, and 330 ampoules of midazolam injection,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday, April 11, arrested 27-year-old Aliyu Ibrahim with 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 250mg in Bachirawa.

Mr Babafemi said a 48-year-old Gambo Lawan was nabbed in a follow-up operation at Wazobia motor park, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

He said this followed the seizure of a consignment of 8,960 pills of tramadol by NDLEA officers on a routine check along the Gwagwalada expressway on April 7.

Similarly, 124 kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis packaged in 11 jumbo bags, was on April 11 recovered from the boot of a Lexus car, marked KTU 54 CU, driven by a suspect, Ademiluyi Adedapo, 58, along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA commands nationwide had continued to balance their drug supply reduction operations with their “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) social advocacy campaigns in schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

He quoted NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa as commending the efforts of the officers of Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano and Niger commands.

(NAN)