Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted 200 kilogrammes of illicit substances seized at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano respectively.
Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Mr. Femi Babafemi revealed this in a press statement.
According to the release, at the Lagos airport, a 41-year-old Adewuyi Olayinka was arrested while trying to export 650 grammes of cocaine wrapped in two parcels to the United Kingdom through the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport MMIA cargo, Ikeja.
According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, the drug was concealed in dry local pepper and herbal concoction popularly called agbo.
In the same vein, 107 kilogrammes of hard drug suspected to be Khat has been seized at the cargo shed of the Kano airport while being exported to Canada.
According to the Ag. Commander, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Command of the NDLEA, Mohammed Ajiya, the drug, which weighed 107kgs was concealed in golden colour nylon bags covered with textile materials and labelled tea with a view to deceive and mislead NDLEA officers.
The statement said, the so called tea, arose the suspicion of officers at the cargo shed who insisted that it must be subjected to laboratory analysis and test before it will be allowed to go, because the tea came from Lagos by road to Kano and the operatives wondered why the owner did not ship it via Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos. Hence, the reason the shipment was delayed until sample was taken and sent for forensic lab for analysis.
Equally, an attempt by a trafficker to export 92.250 kilogrammes of Khat via Turkish Air through the cargo warehouse, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has also been frustrated and the hard drug packed in six cartoons heading to Goussainville in France confiscated.
Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, the NDLEA Commander at the Abuja airport said the clearing agent processing the consignment for export claimed the cargo was dried moringa leaves as stated in the airway bill but upon laboratory tests, it turned out to be hard drug.
The press statement said, Chairman/Chief Executive of the lead anti-drug agency, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended efforts of the Commanders, men and officers of the three international airports Commands for their vigilance to secure Nigerians and citizens from the menace of illicit drugs.
Ime N