NDLEA recovers $17.7m travelers’ cheques in children’s books

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), yesterday, said its operatives intercepted a total of 52 pieces of  travelers cheques concealed in children books worth $17.7million.

A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi yesterday in Abuja, said the cheques were enroute to Malaysia through Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.

He, however, said the cheques were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the airport on July 4, adding that the interdiction operation, which occurred at Lagos airport had a freight agent arrested in connection to the intercepted travelers cheques.

“The travelers cheques suspected to be counterfeit and the suspect will soon be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation,” he said.

He said the NDLEA officers, also at Seme border onJuly 5, recovered 718 big balls of skunk weighing 359 kg from a store in Baba – Pupa area of the border community.

Again, operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja highway, he said, intercepted 10,000 pills of tramadol 225mg and co-codamol as well as 1.050kg Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.

This, he said, led to the arrest of owners of the way billed drug consignments at Jabi park in Abuja during a follow up operation.

Also, in Osun State, two suspects, according to Babafemi, were arrested at Ajegunle area of Osogbo on July 3 with 13,901 pills and ampoules of different opioids recovered from them.

He said another suspect was nabbed at a patent medicine shop at Arubidi street, Ile-Ife, with 48,205 pills of opioids.

“A raid of a vulcaniser workshop at Akindeko junction, Alekuwodo area of Osogbo on Tuesday, July 1 led to the arrest of three suspects.

“They were arrested with 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 850 pills of tramadol and three bottles of codeine-based syrup.”

In another development, the NDLEA operatives also said they have intercepted cocaine consignments concealed in lipsticks and property title documents going to the UK and Saudi Arabia respectively.

According to Babafemi, the illicit drug consignments were recovered from cargos being prepared for shipment at a courier company in Lagos on July 3.

He said the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) attached to the logistics firm intercepted the consignments.

“A total of 420 grams of cocaine factory fitted in 84 pieces of female lipsticks heading to the UK were seized.

“280 grams of the same Class A drug were also uncovered in a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy being sent to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

According to him, a notorious drug kingpin popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’ was over the weekend arrested in Ikeja, adding that the arrest came after the NDLEA operatives dismantled his drug trafficking network in a three-day operation leading to the arrest of three other suspects.

He said items recovered from the operation included 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilogrammes.

He explained that the bust of the drug ring followed credible intelligence on an attempt to move the shipment to the Lekki area of Lagos. “This is from where it will be distributed to other parts of the state and across the country,” he said.

The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
“Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Queen of Angel Secondary School, Mgbidi, Awgu, Enugu state, Divine Purpose College, Eyita, Ikorodu, Lagos.

“Others are Al-Furqan College, Kankia, Katsina and residents of Gomari Binta Suga community, Maiduguri, Borno state, among others.”

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), who commended the officers and men of DOGI, Lagos, for the arrests and seizures.
“Marwa praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”