By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun.
In a recent operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted an intricate scheme devised by drug syndicates aiming to export illegal substances. Concealed within innocuous items like new jeans trousers, dolls, buttons, local soap, and tins of Milo beverage, various quantities of methamphetamine and opioids were targeted for shipment to Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia via courier firms in Lagos.
NDLEA operatives, vigilant and swift in their actions, successfully intercepted these concealed illicit substances, preventing their passage to international destinations. This intervention marks another significant blow to the relentless efforts of drug traffickers seeking to exploit various avenues for their nefarious activities.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy NDLEA. He said, “Some of the consignments intercepted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, at courier houses in Lagos include: tramadol 225mg concealed in hems of new jeans trousers heading to Cyprus; shipment of cannabis sativa hidden in heads of dolls going to Dubai, UAE; sachets of tramadol 225mg buried in tins of milo beverage going to UAE and another set of same drug hidden in local soap also going to UAE, as well as a consignment of methamphetamine concealed in buttons heading to Hong Kong. A shipment of another illicit substance coming from Florida, USA was equally intercepted at a courier firm while the recipient, Daniel Ogi was tracked by NDLEA officers and arrested at 5 Akeem Shittu street, Ajao Estate Lagos on Friday 24th November 2023.
Operatives in Lagos on Friday 1st December also arrested a drug kingpin, Okechukwu Ogala, 56, who specialises in exploiting and recruiting young citizens to export meth to Asian countries. He was arrested at Blue Moon Hotel in Okota area of Lagos with 60 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.009 kilograms.
In another operation in Lagos, operatives on Friday 1st December recovered 393kgs of cannabis in a shop at Akala, Mushin while a suspect, Justin Enuonye, who deals in Canadian Loud was arrested by the police at Victoria Island and transferred to Lagos Command of NDLEA on Friday 1st December with 154 parcels weighing 92kgs. A team of NDLEA operatives also intercepted a vehicle at Oyingbo area of Lagos and recovered 108kgs of cannabis from it, while 675 kilograms of the same substance were recovered from the store of a wanted dealer, Wahab Olota at Adedoja area of Mushin, Lagos.