The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman with 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine allegedly concealed around her pelvic region at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, while preparing to board a flight to Uganda after allegedly travelling to Nigeria to attend a religious programme at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun, Lagos.
According to the agency, Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church delegation for a prayer session but remained in the country after the others returned to Uganda.
She was intercepted at the screening point of Terminal 2 during a joint passenger screening operation involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel.
A subsequent search in a designated private room led to the discovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, allegedly strapped around her pelvic region and concealed beneath two layers of underwear.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed she stayed behind to collect the drugs on behalf of a friend in Uganda identified as Joy, who had connected her with a contact in Nigeria.
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She allegedly disclosed that a man took her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, handed her the consignment and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security. The NDLEA said she expected to receive at least $1,000 for successfully delivering the drugs.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at approximately N900 million.
The opioid shipment arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3 and was allegedly declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.
The consignment, comprising 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures, was placed under surveillance following suspicions about its declaration.
A joint examination conducted on November 6 with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies revealed that 10 cartons contained Tapentadol tablets, while only one carton contained paracetamol.
NDLEA operatives also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a cannabis strain weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo shipment from Houston, Texas, United States.
A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who reportedly presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.
In a follow-up operation on November 6, operatives arrested a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who allegedly came to collect the package. He reportedly claimed he was acting on the instructions of a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.
The agency also announced the dismantling of a suspected syndicate involved in importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.
According to the NDLEA, nine parcels of illicit substances concealed in two cartons of snacks bearing the label “Michael Tea Guy” were intercepted in a consolidated cargo shipment aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.
Two of the parcels contained 1.2 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis identified the remaining seven as chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.
A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, who allegedly came to clear the shipment, was arrested.
The agency said two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient subsequently arrived aboard an Allied Air flight from the UK.
A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, 51, while allegedly taking delivery of the cartons.
A search reportedly uncovered three parcels weighing 3.3 kilogrammes concealed in two packs of detergent, alongside 11 plastic bottles containing mostly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.
The total seizure from the operation comprised 1.2 kilogrammes of cannabis and 28.65 kilogrammes of chemicals allegedly intended for synthetic cannabis production.
At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.
The agency also intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol destined for Australia on October 30, alongside three consignments of tramadol bound for the UK.
The tramadol seizures comprised 20 capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, concealed in vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Asaba hidden inside female headwear.
Meanwhile, operatives arrested a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, at Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos, on November 6.
A search of his apartment reportedly led to the recovery of several illicit substances from a small store allegedly constructed inside the sitting room.
The seized substances included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Across other states, the agency recorded additional arrests and seizures. In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6, recovering 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes.
On the same day, officers raided a cannabis farm in Board Forest, where they destroyed a one-hectare plantation, recovered 242 kilogrammes of cannabis and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.
In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin Ekiti, on November 5, with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf saloon car conveying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along the Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko Edo Local Government Area. The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.
Another operation at a suspected drug joint on Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, resulted in the arrest of three suspects identified as Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20. Quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis were reportedly recovered.
In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes during stop-and-search operations at an NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area.
The suspects were identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, arrested on November 5 with 156 blocks weighing 149.275 kilogrammes; Kabiru Usman, 25, arrested the same day with 80 blocks weighing 40.07 kilogrammes; and Babangida Babayo, 32, arrested on November 6 with 47 blocks weighing 36.91 kilogrammes.
In Enugu State, operatives arrested a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, at a checkpoint in Eke Obinagu on November 3, with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.
At another interception along the Ugwuoba checkpoint, officers arrested Godwin Shaapera, 40, with 24,000 capsules of tramadol weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.
In Delta State, a 30-year-old suspect, Edugua Othuke, was arrested at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31, with 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.
Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4, with quantities of skunk, tramadol, Rohypnol and nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
Beyond its enforcement operations, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse, sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities during the week.
The awareness activities included lectures at St. Andrew Basic School, Oyo; Government Technical College, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Sa’ad College, Kano; and Inland Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State.
The agency’s Zone 1 Command also paid an advocacy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, at his palace.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa retd., commended officers and personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Taraba and Enugu commands for their efforts.
Marwa described the arrest of the Ugandan woman as a reminder that drug cartels were exploiting religious travel to recruit couriers.
He urged NDLEA personnel across the country to sustain their efforts towards reducing both drug supply and demand.
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