By Our Reporter
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80kg of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Tunde was arrested on Sunday, September 27, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
A search by NDLEA operatives reportedly uncovered 16 parcels of white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The substances tested positive for cocaine and had a combined weight of 4.80kg. During interrogation, the suspect allegedly told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.
He reportedly claimed that he raised the money from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have intercepted large consignments of
Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports, with a combined street value of more than ₦5 billion.
At the Apapa Port, NDLEA officers, working with Customs and other stakeholders, subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination. The search reportedly led to the seizure of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons. The consignment was valued at ₦372 million.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two watch-listed containers were jointly examined by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies. One contained 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, concealed in a travelling bag and three vehicles—a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra. The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The two consignments were valued at ₦833.2 million.
At the Tincan Island Port, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on September 29 intercepted 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg, concealed in a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags. The consignment was valued at more than ₦3.8 billion.
The agency also reported the destruction of 20,234kg of skunk from 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, on September 30. In Plateau State, 41-year-old Agbo Dennis was arrested at West of Mines, Jos North, with 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, during a raid on September 28. In a follow-up operation, 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo was arrested at Ladipo Spare Parts Market with 61g of Colorado and 24g of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in a bottle of energy drink.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja Highway and discovered two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine concealed in a waybill. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, recovering 32.2kg of cannabis sativa. Also in Edo, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59g of Loud, 12g of Colorado, 19g of tramadol, 16g of methamphetamine, 4g of Swinol and 4g of Molly.
The agency also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, who allegedly jumped bail six years ago while facing trial at the Federal High Court, Jos, over possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk. Kurra reportedly jumped bail in December 2020 and remained at large until his arrest on September 29.
Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. The campaigns included programmes in Enugu, Lagos, Kano, Ekiti and Kogi states.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.)*m, commended officers involved in the operations for their professionalism and intelligence-led approach.
Marwa urged personnel to sustain the fight against drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, sensitisation and other measures.
