OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed in cartons bound for the United Kingdom and Australia.
It also destroyed 65,000 kilograms of skunk in major anti-narcotics operations across the country.
The agency disclosed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the illicit consignments were intercepted at a courier company in Lagos during the examination of shipments destined for the UK and Australia.
“A total of 170grams of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels and buried in the walls of a carton of clothes heading to Australia were recovered,” the statement said.
Babafemi added that another shipment heading to the United Kingdom contained “200 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection” concealed inside a carton.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives raided Ejeonu village in Ukwuani Local Government Area, where they destroyed 27,500 kilograms of skunk cultivated on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered an additional 22.9kg of the substance.
The agency said a 52-year-old suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Peter, was arrested during a follow-up operation in Obiaruku.
A separate operation at Orogun village in Ughelli North LGA led to the destruction of another 37,500 kilograms of skunk spread across 15 hectares of farmland. Officers also recovered 55.4kg of the substance and arrested a suspect identified as Godwin Vincent Osadera, 30.
“This brings the total weight of skunk destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers in the two operations to 65,000 kilograms,” the statement noted.
In Kaduna State, operatives recovered 361kg of skunk during a raid at Dan Magaji area of Zaria, leading to the arrest of 42-year-old Husaini Suleiman.
The agency also intercepted a large cache of military-grade ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Babafemi said “1,989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm ammunition concealed in fresh white cassava granules locally known as garri” were discovered in the possession of 35-year-old Abdullahi Hassan.
He added that the suspect and the recovered ammunition had been transferred to another security agency for further investigation.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives arrested a businessman, Ogadi Peter, alleged to specialise in producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for social events.
The suspect, 29, was apprehended at his residence in the Life Camp area of Abuja following intelligence reports.
“800grams of skunk and 2.70kg drug-laced cookies” were recovered from him, the statement added.
In Ogun State, officers recovered 181kg of skunk from a suspect identified as Aliyu Sani during a raid in the Ogere area.
Similarly, in Taraba State, 27-year-old Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa was arrested along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari LGA with “105,850 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5.”
Two suspects — Adeleke Olamide Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25 — were also arrested in Oyo State in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies at Challenge II area of Saki town.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 1,388.4175 kilograms of skunk during raids on farms located in Ago forest, Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
The agency also recorded seizures in Kano State, where a 25-litre jerry can of palm oil used to conceal 1.2kg of tramaking 225mg pills was intercepted at Kofar Ruwa motor park.
Another suspect, Aminu Isa, 35, was arrested in the Sabuwar Sharada area with 30.5kg of skunk.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued across schools in Oyo, Niger, Lagos, Katsina, Ekiti and Kano states.
While commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised personnel across commands for balancing enforcement with preventive advocacy.
Marwa “commended the officers and men of DOGI, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, Taraba, Kano, FCT and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week,” Babafemi stated.
He also applauded “their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”