NDLEA intercepts cocaine, opioids concealed in sanitary pads, hair cream containers

Destroys over 100,000kg of cannabis in Ekiti forest

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus at three courier firms in Lagos.

In one of the logistics companies, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation recovered about 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1kg concealed in hair cream containers during an examination of cargoes going to Ireland on Tuesday, September 3.

Confirming the development in a statement yesterday, agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi said another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862gm, also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in the UK, was intercepted at the same company on Friday, September 6.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives seized 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads going to Cyprus at another courier firm in Lagos on Tuesday, September 3.

A shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, UK, was also seized by operatives on Wednesday, September 4.

Operatives also intercepted another consignment of tramadol 225mg, which was buried in granulated melon from Cameroon and was going to South Africa on Friday, 6 September.

About 550,000 pills of tramadol were also intercepted at Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, on Monday, September 2, during a joint examination of a cargo that came from Delhi, India, with men from the Nigerian Customs Service. A suspect has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives, supported by men from the Nigerian Army, stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve in Ise/Orun Local Council on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 3 and 4, where over 100,000kg of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farmland were destroyed.

The affected settlements include Aba Saalaja, which has 23 hectares, Aba Paanu, which has 12 hectares, and Aba Arogunmatidi, which has 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.

Two suspects, Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44, were arrested on Friday, September 6, along Toro-Jos road, Kaduna, with 305kg cannabis concealed in a false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM, while another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, 24 was arrested in possession of 18kg of the same substance at Makarfi town.

Two others, Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, were arrested along the Zaria-Kaduna highway in possession of 1,300 tablets of tramadol, all on the same day.

In Jigawa State, Uzairu Ya’u, 30, was arrested with 32.6kg of cannabis on Thursday, September 6, at Koran Shehu, while operatives in Kogi intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu Council, Kogi State on Wednesday, September 4.