NDLEA Intercepts Hard Drugs Packaged In Beverage

Operatives from various special units of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, intercepted large consignments of cocaine and Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis, hidden in containerised household items and vehicles imported from Durban, South Africa, and Canada at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos.

According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, following coordinated intelligence and months of tracking of the containers by three NDLEA special units, the illicit drugs, as well as arms, ammunition, and other military effects, were seized during a joint examination of the three containers by the Agency’s officers and their counterparts from the Customs Service and other security agencies between Thursday, January 18th and Friday, January 19th 2024. Some of the agency’s sniffer dogs were also deployed to assist in identifying the locations and bags used to conceal the illicit items.

Read Also: NDLEA Intercepts Large Consignment Of Canadian Loud; Tramadol

Some of the items recovered from the containers include 1, 274 parcels of cocaine and Colorado weighing 884.09 kilogrammes; four pistols; 197 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 49 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 275 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition; and various military personnel effects, as well as some chemicals in kegs. With the exception of a 32.5kg consignment of Colorado in old autos from Canada, the remaining materials were discovered in two of three containers that landed at Tincan port from Durban, South Africa onboard a vessel named MSC RESILIENT III and were emptied on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2023. NDLEA operatives have already tracked down and detained 41-year-old Akara Chibugo, a suspect related to one of the containers, UACU 5348336, which contained the 32.5kg Colorado.

Two observant freight brokers and a traveller evaded being duped into two drug trafficking operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos. The two agents were contacted about sending a consignment of 1kg cannabis concealed in Milo beverage tins to Turkey, however, they elected to submit the shipment to NDLEA checks before processing the cargo. The psychoactive chemical was eventually found to be hidden within the cargo.

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Nnamdi Okoli