From Olukayode Idowu, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has foiled the movement of 200 kilogrammes of illicit drugs through Nigeria’s international airports in Lagos, Abuja and Kano in the last one week.
A statement on Sunday by the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi while revealing that the interceptions happened in just the past week, said: “Attempts by some defiant traffickers to export hard drugs through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano have been foiled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with 200 kilogrammes of the illicit substances seized from them.”
He said at the Lagos airport, a 41-year old Adewuyi Olayinka was arrested while trying to export 650 grammes of cocaine wrapped in two parcels to the United Kingdom through the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA cargo, Ikeja.
He said the Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, revealed that the drug was concealed in dry local pepper and herbal concoction popularly called ‘agbo’.
Babafemi said: “In the same vein, 107 kilogrammes of hard drug suspected to be Khat has been seized at the cargo shed of the Kano airport while being exported to Canada.”
He noted that the Acting Commander, MAKIA Command of the NDLEA, Mohammed Ajiya said: “The drug, which weighed 107 kilogrammes was concealed in golden colour nylon bags covered with textile materials and labelled tea with a view to deceive and mislead our officers.
“The so called tea arose the suspicion of officers at the cargo shed who insisted that it must be subjected to laboratory analysis and test before it will be allowed to go, because the so called tea came from Lagos by road to Kano and our operatives wondered why the owner did not ship it via Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Hence, the reason the shipment was delayed until sample was taken and sent to our forensic lab for analysis. The result came out positive for Khat, it has since been seized and is now in our custody.”
Babafemi also disclosed that an attempt by a trafficker to export 92.3 kilogrammes of Khat via Turkish Air through the cargo warehouse, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was also frustrated and the hard drug packed in six cartoons heading to Goussainville in France confiscated.
He noted that Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, the NDLEA Commander at the Abuja airport said the clearing agent processing the consignment for export claimed the cargo was dried moringa leaves as stated in the airway bill but upon laboratory tests, it turned out to be hard drug.
Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of the lead anti-drug agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has already commended the Commanders, men and officers of the three international airports Commands for their vigilance and efforts to secure Nigerians and citizens of destination countries from the menace of illicit drugs.
