The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a shipment of cannabis, known as “Loud,” concealed inside a duvet and bound for the United Kingdom.
The operation took place at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
“Six parcels of the psychoactive substance with a gross weight of 3.50 kilograms were concealed inside the duvet,” the statement revealed.
Two suspects, Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun, were arrested in connection with the consignment. Babafemi added, “Austin Balogun, who is the main agent, claimed he was paid N700,000 to ship the consignment to the UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk to pay for an apartment.”
In another operation, NDLEA officers raided a hideout in the Igbo Olomu area of Ikorodu, Lagos, where two suspects, Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun, were arrested.
During the raid, seven litres of “skuchies,” a psychoactive substance made with black currant, cannabis, and opioids, were recovered. Other items seized included three locally-made double-barrel rifles, one locally-made double-barrel pistol, one English-made pistol, one locally-made single-barrel rifle, three cartridges, one empty 9mm cartridge, and an iron-head axe.
On January 19, another raid in the Akala area of Mushin, Lagos, led to the seizure of 47kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, and 25.46kg of Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas.
The operations extended to other states. In Ekiti State, a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was arrested on January 23 with 1.95kg of Canadian Loud. Similarly, in Kwara State, Auwal Sani was arrested on January 20 in Moro Local Government Area with 50,000 tramadol pills weighing 36.56kg.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested a Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, alongside two others, Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32. They were caught with 13.1kg of skunk and 125 litres of “suck and die,” another psychoactive substance.
Additionally, a cannabis plantation was discovered and destroyed in the Gefen Kasa area of Dawakin Kudu Local Government. A suspect, Sabo Ali Muhammad, 45, was arrested in connection with the farm.
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), praised the efforts of the officers involved in the operations. He reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to fighting drug trafficking and reducing drug abuse across Nigeria.
“The NDLEA remains committed to making our society safer and free from the dangers of illicit drugs,” Marwa said.
