NDLEA intercepts consignments of cocaine in pads, creams

*Courier firms move consignment to UK, Ireland, Cyprus

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids hidden in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers.

The consignment owned by three courier firms in Lagos, were heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus.

According to NDLEA in a statement, “In one of the logistics companies, no fewer than 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilogrammes concealed in hair cream containers were recovered by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, during examination of cargoes going to Ireland on September 3, 2024.

“Another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grams also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in UK was equally intercepted at the same company on September 6.

“In the same vein, a total of 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy (MDMA) concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads going to Cyprus were seized at another courier firm in Lagos by NDLEA operatives on September 3, while a shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, UK, was also seized by operatives on September 4.”

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi was quoted as saying that: “Operatives equally intercepted another consignment of tramadol 225mg buried in granulated melon that came from Cameroon and going to South Africa on September 6.

“No fewer than 550,000 pills of tramadol were also intercepted at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt on September 2, during a joint examination of a cargo that came from Delhi, India, with men of the Nigeria Customs Service while a suspect was already arrested in connection with the seizure.

“In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army on September 3 and 4, stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, in Ise/Orun Local Government Area where over 100,000 kilogrammes of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farmland were destroyed.

"The affected settlements include: Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.

“Two suspects: Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44, were arrested on September 6, along Toro-Jos road, Kaduna with 305kg cannabis concealed in false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM, while another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, 24, was arrested in possession of 18 kilogrammes of same substance at Makarfi town.

“Two others: Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, were arrested along Zaria- Kaduna highway in possession of 1,300 tablets of tramadol, all same day.

“In Jigawa state, Uzairu Ya’u, 30, was nabbed with 32.6kg of cannabis on September 5, at Koran Shehu, while operatives in Kogi on September 5, intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi State.

“Another suspect, Mohammed Idris, 56, was nabbed along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on September 3, with 42.400kg cannabis coming from Lagos en route Kano.

“NDLEA operatives in Borno State arrested Idris Muhammad, 40, at Ramat area of Maiduguri on September 5, with 13,100 pills of tramadol while their counterparts in Kano on September 4, nabbed Hakilu Usman, 35, with 25.8kg cannabis and 3,000 pills of diazepam along Kano-Daura Road.”