By Seyi Odewale

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has arrested a 19-year-old student, Nnamani Daberechi, for attempting to export 7.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in crayfish.

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said Daberechi was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Europe for undergraduate studies, adding that he was intercepted on July 15 during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624.

“While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies. But upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found in possession of 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish. A field test of the substance however proved positive to Methamphetamine,” he said.

In the same vein, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the agency on July 11 intercepted 116.5kg consignment of Colorado.

Babafemi, who described the drug as a strong strain of cannabis, said it was concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicle parts.
This, he said, was on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.

“Based on intelligence, the agency had requested for a 100 percent examination of the container which arrived at the TICT terminal of the port on June 14.

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“A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS and other stakeholders on Tuesday July 11, led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance. It was stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicles spare parts,” he said.

In another development, operatives of the agency, according to Babafemi, have foiled an attempt of a suspected drug trafficker to send 151,700 pills of opioids to Kaduna, Kaduna State.

Babafemi said the suspect, Ibrahim Analu, 28, was arrested at Iddo motor park, Lagos, while attempting to send the consignment.

He added that the operatives in Lagos have also thwarted attempts to export various quantities of illicit substances through courier companies, saying about 336 grammes of skunk stuffed inside computer hard drives going to Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), were seized at a courier firm.

He also said a total of 4.830kg skunk was discovered at another courier firm in shipment from Douala, Cameroon, passing through Nigeria to Oman, adding that the drug was concealed in 10 of 12 cans of palm fruits paste, locally called Banga, packed in a carton.

“A total of 45.41kg cannabis was recovered from Adam Hassan, 27, along Ingawa-Mani – Mashi road, Katsina State enroute Niger Republic. Also, 70kg of the same substance was seized from Mamman Nur Shettima on July 15, along Kano – Nguru road, Yobe State.

“In Kano, a suspect, Abdulhamid Lawan, 48, was on Friday July 14 nabbed at Dan Agundi area, Kano with 114 blocks of cannabis, weighing 71.7kg. NDLEA operatives recovered 50,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol, in the Kofar Waika area of the state,” he said.

In the same vein, a total of 912,600 pills of pharmaceutical opioids, including tramadol, were recovered from two commercial vehicles. “One coming from Lagos to Kano, the other was intercepted along Abuja-Jere-Kaduna expressway, with a suspect, Sahabi Lawal, 25, arrested. In Borno, 32-year-old Umar Tijjani Mustapha was arrested at Gangamari, MMC, with 55.25kg of skunk