By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, Lagos.

A statement by the NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja said that the consignment was concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish.

Babafemi said that operatives of the NDLEA also arrested a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance across the world especially to India.

He said that the smashing of the drug syndicate followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities.

He said that this led to a well-coordinated sting operation by operatives of the agency strategic command at the MMIA at the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19.

“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in the possession of the kingpin.

“A search of the bags led to the recovery of 237 wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as Okporoko.

“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilogrammes. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” he said.

Babafemi also said that in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on March 25, intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company.

He said that In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine was found concealed in automobile filters.

He said that the second parcel contained 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.

He added that in yet another major interdiction operation, operatives of a Special Operations Unit (SOU) of the agency on March 26, raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate.

Babafemi said that the 46-year-old suspect was arrested at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos, with her sales girl.

“No fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were recovered from them.

“The suspect popularly known as Iya Ghana, trades in local fabric on the surface, but beneath, she runs a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.

“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested another suspect at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos, following credible intelligence.

“A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him,” he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, DOGI commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between the NDLEA’s drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. (NAN)

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