By Olukayode Idowu
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in duvet, packaged for export to the United Kingdom through the cargo shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said two suspects: Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun linked to the bid to export the consignment to the UK were promptly arrested following the discovery by NDLEA officers last Tuesday, adding that six parcels of the psychoactive substance with a gross weight of 3.5 kilogrammes were concealed inside the duvet.
Babafemi said Austin Balogun who is the main agent who hired Adakole, in his statement, claimed he was paid N700,000 to cargo the consignment to UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk to pay for an apartment.
In another clampdown, at least two suspects: Joseph Adewale and Biodun Adelakun were arrested at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu area of Lagos when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in the community where seven litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant, cannabis and opioids, were recovered. Other exhibits seized from the duo include: three locally made double barrel riffles; one locally made double barrel pistol; one English made pistol; one locally made single barrel riffle; three cartridges and one empty 9mm cartridge as well as an iron – head axe.
Babafemi said in another raid in Lagos on Sunday 19th January, the agency seized 47 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46 kilogrammes Nitrous Oxide popularly known as laughing gas at the notorious Akala area of Mushin.
In Ekiti, a 26-year-old suspect Adepoju Taiwo was arrested by NDLEA officers last Thursday with 1.95 kilogrammes Canadian Loud at Iworoko road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, while Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives last Monday at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of Kwara State. A total of 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56 kilogrammes were recovered from him.
Babafemi said a Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, with two others: Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, while 13.1 kilogrammes skunk and 125 litres of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance were recovered from them. In Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu council area of Kano state, a cannabis plantation was discovered and destroyed by a team of NDLEA officers who arrested a suspect, Sabo Muhammad, 45, linked to the farm.
He said across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitization activities in every part of their areas of responsibility.
