BY BRIGHT JACOB
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered no fewer than 442 parcels of Crystal Methamphetamine concealed in heads of fishes packed in cartons for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates through the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that the 11.90kg consignment was brought to the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Friday, August 5, by a freight agent, Adekunle Oluwapelumi Paul, 32, from Yagba West LGA, Kogi State.
The suspect was promptly arrested upon the discovery that the seven cartons he presented for export contained parcels of the dangerous drug wrapped with foil paper and concealed in the heads of hundreds of smoked catfish.
The following day, Saturday, August 6, Babafemi said another consignment containing 1.45kg cannabis concealed inside granulated melon and crayfish and packed among other food condiments going to Dubai, UAE was also intercepted by NDLEA operatives.
He said NDLEA operatives arrested the freight agent, Ajisefini Lateef that presented the cargo for export at the SAHCO shed.
He explained that the 39-year-old agent is from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Meanwhile, anti-narcotic officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu have arrested a 50-year-old Mgbeobuna Victor Eberechukwu for ingesting 77 pellets of cocaine.
He was arrested on Saturday, August 6 following his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia onboard an Ethiopian airline flight.
The suspect who hails from Idemili South LGA, Anambra state passed out the 77 wraps of the illicit drug in eight excretions spanning four days.
In Kaduna, three suspects, Saifullahi Sani, Salisu Nafi’u and Abdulrazaq Mamman, were arrested in Zaria on Thursday, August 11 with 1,112,350 tablets of Tramadol (225mg and 100mg) weighing 38.3kg, while in Kano, a female drug dealer, Saratu Abdullahi, 28, from Wurno council area of the state was nabbed at Hotoro with 541 blocks of cannabis weighing 245kg.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of 1,773.25kg cannabis sativa at Ebute-Metta and Akala in Mushin areas of the state in separate raid operations between August 9 and 10.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, 86 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 43 kg were recovered from a 40ft container during a joint examination with Customs and other security agencies.
The illegal consignment seized on Friday, August 12, came from Toronto via Montreal, Canada and concealed in two drums inside a Mercedes Benz SUV in the container.
In Abia, two suspects, Nnanna Ijo, 58, and Orji Uguru, 29, were arrested on Friday, August 12 with various quantities of cannabis, heroin and cocaine at Nde-Agbai, Abiriba, a week after Nnanna was released from detention over a similar offence committed in June.
