By Seyi Odewale
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday said it has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in tins of Cerelac baby food and clothes going to the United States and the United Kingdom (UK) respectively.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said the consignment was seized by the NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), and a courier firm in Lagos.
According to him, no less than 36 parcels of a strong strain of cannabis were concealed in six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food, with six containers in each package, adding that they were recovered at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) export shed of Lagos airport, on July 31.
He said the psychotropic substance had a total weight of 18.50 kilogrammes. “A freight agent, Suliat Salaudeen who presented the consignment for export to the UK was promptly arrested. A follow-up operation to Ibadan, Oyo state on Saturday August 3 led to the arrest of the sender of the cargo, Motunrayo Bello at her No. 20 Mofoluwasho Estate, Elewuro, Akobo area of the Oyo state capital,’ he said
“The Cerelac tins were all factory-sealed at the top while they tampered with the bottom through which they put the substances.
“They were covered with loose quantities of the infant cereal meal to prevent discovery, an effort that ended in futility as vigilant NDLEA officers were able to foil the attempt,” he added.
In the same vein, the NDLEA operatives have seized five different shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances meant for export to the United States and the United Kingdom in Lagos.
Such drugs, according to Babafemi, include promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine concealed in clothes and other items.
“One of the shipments containing 820 grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was going to the United States. The remaining four parcels consisting of over two kilograms of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly, and NPS were heading to the United Kingdom. They were all intercepted on July 29 at a logistics company in Lagos,” he said.
In another development, the drug agency said it recovered 77 packages of Canadian ‘Loud’, a synthetic strain of cannabis (Indian hemp) at Tincan Port in Lagos.
According to Babafemi, the drugs were hidden in the body compartments of four vehicles, adding that the drugs that were recovered on August 2 were located in a Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Sienna respectively.
He said the drugs were imported from Canada and were intercepted during a joint examination of some containers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other stakeholders.
“The seized consignments have a total weight of 38.5 kilograms while two suspects: Abiodun Salami, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments have been taken into custody.
“Another suspect, Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuwoye, Lagos on Thursday, Aug. 1 with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 174 litres and 1,070 tablets of Molly weighing 600 grams,” he said.
No less than 50 bags of cannabis with a gross weight of 520kg were recovered in the bush at Isuada, Owo council area of Ondo state.
Babafemi said five suspects were also arrested at Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
He said the suspects nabbed in connection with the seizure of 42kg of the same psychoactive substance include Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34.
Also, in Edo State, 22 and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220kg were recovered from Egbeta community, Ovia North East area of the state on July 30.
The NDLEA spokesman said a suspect, Osayede Aghoma was arrested and another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was on July 31 nabbed with 40 blocks of the same substance adding that the substance weighed 19.200kg and was intercepted along the Okene-Lokoja highway on a commercial bus coming from Lagos en route Kano.
