Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered consignments of high-potency illicit drugs concealed in water purifiers shipped from the Netherlands to Lagos. 

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said that the drugs were mainly ketamine, weighing three kilograms and 199 grams of ecstasy pills.

“They were carefully hidden in the water purifier machines, discovered and seized at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday, May 26,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kaduna, NDLEA operatives arrested a couple along with another suspect, following the seizure of 100 jumbo bags of skunk with a gross weight of 1,246 kilograms.

Mr Babafemi said that the drugs were intercepted from their home at Gonin Gora area of Kaduna on Sunday, May 24.

“In another interdiction operation in the state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna highway by Jere, same day, intercepted a suspect with 380 military-grade ammunition, RLA 7.62mm, going to Katsina state.

“The suspect and the exhibit have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further action,” he said.

Additionally, the NDLEA operatives in Niger State, acting on credible intelligence, raided a warehouse at Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area.

Mr Babafemi said that 457 kilograms of skunk were recovered on Wednesday, and a suspect was arrested at Minna in connection with the seizure.

Similarly, in Enugu, operatives on patrol along the Onitsha/Enugu expressway on Thursday intercepted a Taraba state-bound commercial vehicle marked JAY-158-YF.

“A search of the bus led to the recovery of 22,000 pills of tramadol, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grams of bromazepam while a suspect was arrested,” he said.

He stated that the agency’s commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, over the past week.

“These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Government Secondary School, Adiabo, Cross River; St Patrick’s Memorial College, Wukari, Taraba.

“Also, Roman Catholic Mission Nursery and Primary School, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos; and Kings Secondary School, Amawbia, Anambra state, among others,” he said.

Mr Babafemi noted that the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers of Kaduna, Niger, and Enugu commands, as well as those of the DOGI, for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their laurels.

(NAN)