NDLEA busts Qatar-bound illicit drugs concealed in African salad, dried vegetables

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms to Doha, Qatar.

The drugs were concealed in an African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables.

She was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). Ikeja, Lagos State.

This is contained in a statement issued by NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.

He said NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Security had on Thursday 28th March intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration.

“She said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country,” Babafemi said.

He added that two suspects: Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka were on Tuesday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.

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“Attempt by Okeke to bribe the NDLEA officers with N5 million cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court,” he said.

“In Bayelsa, the bid by three suspects: Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27, to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425 kilograms to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of the state was thwarted on Wednesday 27th March by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa where Ebuka and Ugochukwu were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow up operation.

The drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.

“While two suspects: Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib were arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun state on Friday 29th March, NDLEA operatives in Taraba recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari on Thursday 28th March with 131 kg cannabis sativa.

“In Abia state, Nwachukwuu Chinedu, 28, was arrested on Friday 29th March at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato LGA by NDLEA officers. Recovered from him include 46.65kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit,” he said.

Babafemi stated that at least, 127.5kg cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba road, Idoani area of Ose LGA, Ondo State, while a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano.

He said the owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano road, Bakura Goni was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday 26th March in a follow up operation and flown to Kano to face charges, saying that the consignment consisting of cannabis and tramadol weighing 73.8kg was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to Kano.

“While 278kg of cannabis going to Idoani in Ondo state was recovered during a raid at Oloma-Okpe forest, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, not less than 3,065.255kg of the same psychoactive substance was razed on two farms at Amahor waterside forest in Igueben area of the state where three suspects: James Thankgod; Wisdom James and Akpa Festus were arrested on Thursday 28th March,” he added.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for their balanced efforts in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) equally applauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures.