Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered a major drug smuggling operation involving tins of Cerelac baby food.
The drugs were hidden in the food containers and were bound for the United States and the United Kingdom.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, announced the discovery on Sunday. He said the drugs were found at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier firm in Lagos.
“We intercepted 36 parcels of a strong strain of cannabis concealed in six cartons of Cerelac baby food tins. The total weight of the drugs is 18.50 kilograms,” Babafemi stated.
The operation took place on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the SAHCOL export shed of Lagos airport.
The NDLEA officers found that the Cerelac tins were factory-sealed at the top, but the bottom had been tampered with to hide the drugs, which were covered with loose quantities of the infant cereal meal.
A freight agent named Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, who presented the consignment for export to the UK, was arrested.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Bello Motunrayo Folu, the sender of the cargo, in Ibadan on August 3, 2024.
In addition, NDLEA operatives seized multiple shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances.
These included promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine, all hidden in clothes and other items meant for export. The drugs were intercepted on July 29, 2024, at a logistics company in Lagos.
At the Tincan port in Lagos on August 2, 2024, the NDLEA recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, from the body compartments of four vehicles.
The total weight of this seizure was 38.5 kilograms. Two suspects, Salami Abiodun Sunday and Lekan Atoyebi, were taken into custody.
Further drug seizures included 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup and 1,070 tablets of Molly, discovered in Lagos on August 1, 2024.
In Ondo State, 50 bags of cannabis weighing 520 kilograms were found, and five suspects were arrested. Another seizure in Edo State involved 220 kilograms of cannabis.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the efforts of the officers and stressed the importance of their work.
“I commend the NDLEA teams for their continued efforts in reducing drug supply and conducting sensitization activities across the country,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA is committed to combating drug abuse and raising awareness through its War Against Drug Abuse program.
