The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted illicit substances concealed in various items intended for export to Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. The substances, including methamphetamine and opioids, were hidden in new jeans, trousers, dolls, buttons, local soap, and tins of milo beverage.
The consignments were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at courier firms in Lagos. Among the intercepted items were tramadol concealed in new jeans and trousers destined for Cyprus, cannabis sativa hidden in dolls heading to Dubai, UAE, and methamphetamine concealed in buttons bound for Hong Kong.
In a related development, a drug kingpin, Okechukwu Ogala, who specializes in recruiting young citizens to export meth to Asian countries, was arrested in Lagos with 60 wraps of methamphetamine.
In a series of raids across Edo, Delta, Bauchi, FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, and Kogi, the NDLEA recovered 8 tons of cannabis and 8,000 bottles of codeine. In one operation, NDLEA operatives stormed the Ujiogba forest in Esan West LGA, Edo State, where they recovered 5,988 kilograms of processed cannabis.
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The NDLEA has reaffirmed its commitment to combating drug trafficking and ensuring the safety and security of the nation. The agency continues to solicit the public’s cooperation in providing timely and relevant information to aid its efforts against drug-related security challenges in the country.