NDLEA intercepts cocaine hidden in dry fish heads, recovers fentanyl, meth in UK-bound shipments ‎

By Odita Sunday

‎

‎

‎The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish and recovered other illicit drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and morphine sulphate, in separate operations across the country.

‎

‎The agency also arrested multiple suspects, including an 80-year-old man, in a series of intelligence-driven raids.

‎

‎According to a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the cocaine seizure followed a coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command.

‎

‎”The operation, carried out in Ojo, Lagos on March 19, led to the arrest of a suspected kingpin, Akputa Dickson Ejike, 36.

‎

‎”Three jumbo bags recovered from him contained 237 wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “okporoko,” with a total weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was bound for Delhi, India.

‎In another operation, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted two consignments heading to the United Kingdom on March 25 at a courier company in Lagos.

‎

‎”One of the shipments, which originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second parcel contained 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl,” Babafemi stated.

‎

‎In a related development, he revealed that operatives of a Special Operations Unit on March 26 raided the residence of a suspected drug syndicate leader, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” at Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos.

‎

‎According to him, she was arrested alongside her associate, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, 31, with 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud” cannabis weighing 76.30kg recovered.

‎

‎“Omolade, who trades in local fabrics as a cover, runs a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana,” he said.

‎

‎He added,”On the same day, another suspect, Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, was arrested in Surulere, Lagos, with 78 blocks of the same substance weighing 41kg.

‎

‎”In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, during a raid in Efon-Alaaye, recovering 2.2kg of skunk and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine.

‎

‎”Similarly, 894.72kg of the same substance was seized from another suspect, Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, 37, in Ondo State.”

‎

‎Babafemi disclosed that further operations led to the recovery of 116.7kg of skunk from a suspect, Saater Nyam, in Benue State, while in Edo State, a warehouse was uncovered in Ekpoma, leading to the arrest of Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 576.5kg of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine syrup.

‎

‎According to him, in Taraba State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck conveying 135kg of compressed skunk concealed in bags of animal feed, arresting two suspects, Osama Mamuda and Auwal Umar.

‎

‎The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns also continued across schools nationwide.

‎

‎Commending officers involved in the operations, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised their efforts.

‎“He also commended commands across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts,” the statement added.

‎

‎

‎