NDLEA Seizes N3.3 Billion Worth of Illicit Drugs, Including Methamphetamine and Cannabis “Loud” Shipments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted shipments of methamphetamine and “loud” (a strong synthetic strain of cannabis) worth N3.3 billion.According to a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the seizure was made at the Tincan seaport in Lagos.Babafemi revealed that the drugs were concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada. The NDLEA operatives tracked the cargoes across three continents before making the seizure. The seizure followed months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes. The NDLEA operatives worked tirelessly to intercept the shipments, which were headed to Nigeria.

Notably, this is the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations that two consignments of methamphetamine, weighing 83.301 kilograms, have been recovered. The drugs were recovered on Thursday and Friday from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts. They were headed to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin, Lagos.

The successful seizure is a testament to the NDLEA’s commitment to combating the illicit drug trade in Nigeria. The agency remains dedicated to protecting the country from the scourge of drug abuse.

“One of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday. “Not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine were hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered while a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.

“The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday, was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg. “Another plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg was also recovered. “Two businessmen have been arrested in connection to the seizure. “The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg and 867.5kg worth N2.1bn and N124.9m in street value,” he said.

Babafemi said that the seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and other port stakeholders. He added that the success recorded was made possible by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.

“The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on October 4, when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada. “It was monitored through Oct. 8, when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day Oct. 9. “The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on October 19 through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on Oct. 30.

“The consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on Nov. 14, before arriving Lagos port on Dec. 1 and released to a bonded terminal two days after.“The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg meth followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on Oct. 8 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada. “It was loaded on the rail on Oct. 14 and arrived Montreal the following day, Oct. 15, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on Oct. 20“After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on Nov. 6 and Nov. 17 respectively, the consignments were tracked down until they arrived and were discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on Dec. 6 before being moved to the terminal on Dec. 10.”

Source: https://vanguardngr.com