The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of tramadol, Rohypnol, ecstasy (designer drug) and cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.

The psychoactive substances were recovered at the new terminal of the airport last Friday, following the arrest of a passenger, Joshia Sunday, who was traveling on a Qatar Airline flight via Doha to Oman, Middle East.

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A thorough search of the suspect’s two black bags led to the discovery of 4.80 kilograms of cannabis concealed in three winter jackets and various quantities of tramadol, Rohypnol, and ecstasy (designer drug) hidden in bottles of body lotion. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect came into Nigeria from Oman on April 7, and was returning exactly a week after.

In the same vein, a Lekki Lagos based businessman, Cyril Chidiebere, was on Friday, April 14, arrested along with two of his freight agents: Mejabi Peter Sunday and Oyeyinka Babatunde, over their involvement in the importation of 12 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 6.50kg, which was part of a consolidated cargo brought in from the United States of America.

The arrest and seizure followed a three-day intelligence led operation. Following the arrival of the cargo at the NAHCO import shed of the MMIA, its movement out of the airport was closely monitored in a sting operation until the actual importer, Cyril Chidiebere, was arrested in his house at the Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Lekki area of Lagos. Both Mejabi and Chidiebere have made useful statements to confirm that the latter has been involved in dealing on illicit drugs in the past.”

Meanwhile, a pregnant woman, Rabetu Abdulrasak, 24, and a cripple, Shehu Adams, have been arrested by NDLEA operatives in Agbede, Etsako West LGA, Edo State, while over 14 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and swinol were recovered from them on Saturday, April 15.

A 22-year-old HND 1 female student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, Isoyo Iveren Susan, was last Saturday arrested opposite 2nd Gate of the institution, for dealing in illicit drugs. Recovered from her include 1,100ML of codeine-based cough syrup and 283grams of cannabis. This is just as operatives in Lagos arrested two suspects: Nonso Peter, 21, and Bright Chibuike, 23, with 43.4kg cannabis at the Ile-Epo, Abule Egba area of the state last Friday.

In Katsina State, no less than 1,730 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from a suspect, Bishir Sa’adu in Katsina metropolis on Sunday, April 9, just as Muhamadu Yusuf was equally arrested same day with 8,000 capsules of tramadol inside a commercial bus, along Kano – Katsina road. In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna, last Thursday, raided a clandestine laboratory where mist potassium citrate was being produced in a residential apartment, at 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria. The owner of the lab, Christopher Agodi, was arrested and 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered. While a suspect, Salisu Abdullahi, 25, was arrested along Abuja-Kaduna road with 11.7kg cannabis concealed in two jerry cans, which he was moving from Port Harcourt to Kano, operatives also, last Saturday, nabbed one Atiku Abubakar, 22, on the same road with 50 blocks of cannabis weighing 28kg while travelling from Lagos to Shinkafi in Zamfara State, in a commercial bus.

Similarly, anti-narcotic officers acting on a tip-off, arrested two suspects: Aminu Saudi, 45 and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese, Ondo State, with 11 jumbo bags containing 211kg of cannabis concealed in rice chaffs.

This was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in Uso forest in the state, last Thursday.