The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two shipments of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado or “Colos,” concealed in cargoes from the United Kingdom, while operatives also recovered consignments of the illicit drug hidden in music speakers in Lagos.
In a statement, the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said at least seven suspects linked to the consignments were arrested in Lagos, while over 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs were recovered in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano states’ raids.
Babafemi said at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted the UK-bound consignment containing 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg.
He said a real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, who showed up with a secret collection code relayed from his UK-based brother to collect a large luggage containing the illicit substance, was arrested on Wednesday, last week.
The spokesman said a follow-up stemming from a second UK consignment led operatives to the designated recipient of another consignment of Colorado weighing 12.25kg.
The suspect, Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44, said the consignment was sent to him by his brother in the UK.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) also intercepted a music speaker rigged with three packs of Colorado at a motor park in Maza Maza, Lagos.
The consignment was reportedly heading to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.
A tour agent, Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, 41, and the owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested following a sting at a nearby eatery.
Babafemi said in a separate operation at Iddo Park, Lagos, a suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on Friday, September 11, while attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
He said in Delta State, two arrests at Ughelli and Asaba yielded ampoules of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly.
Several of the drugs were concealed in music speakers, while two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested in connection with the seizures, according to the statement.
in Kano, a raid at Sabon Gari led to the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect, Saidu Adamu, with 785,000 capsules of Pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.
Also in Kano, a stop-and-search on Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road led to the seizure of 1,700 tablets of diazepam concealed in loaves of bread. The drugs were recovered from Habibu Sabitu, 28.
Babafemi said in Plateau State, a 51-year-old suspect, Chinedu Uzor, was arrested at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.
The agency also sustained its operations against illicit cannabis cultivation with the destruction of 4,832.56kg of skunk on cannabis farms at Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Ovia South West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas of Edo State.
A suspect, Sunday Segun, 39, was arrested during the operation last Friday.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence last Wednesday, raided a residence on Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, where they recovered 186kg of skunk concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car marked ABJ 917 FV, he said.
The spokesman said the consignment was recovered from a 58-year-old suspect, Paul Ogbuwala, who was allegedly planning to move it to Jos for onward distribution.
In Kaduna State, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis.
He said in Bayelsa State, four suspects, including a 70-year-old woman, Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg.
The other suspects are Motombo Silver, 44; Pere Andrew, 39; and Keme Andrew, 43.
Marwa commended the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano Commands for the successful operations.
He urged them to sustain the agency’s drug control and charged them to continue to shut every pipeline being used by drug cartels, whether at the airports, seaports, land borders or in the hinterland where cannabis is cultivated.
Source: The Nation
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