Consignments of Heroin and Khat with a street value of N10 billion have been seized by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The Director Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi made this known in a statement on Sunday.
Femi explained that, during cargo examination at the MMIA SAHCO Import Shed, a freight agent had presented a cargo from South Africa with an Ethiopian Airline ET 3901 Airway Bill no: 071-40689003 for examination when NDLEA personnel attached to the beat discovered the suspected brownish substance concealed inside a red bag commonly called “Ghana-must-go”.
During preliminary interview of the suspect, it was gathered that another freight agent sub-contracted the clearing job to him and eventually six suspects have so far been arrested in follow up operations, while the substance had tested positive to heroin with a total weight of 24.05kg.
Another consignment in the consolidated cargo has also proved to be methamphetamine with a weight of 1.25kg, bringing the total weight of illicit drugs seized in the cargo to 25. 3kg.
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Though the cargo arrived the airport in the evening of 16th April, a properly searched the following day, 17th, follow up operations leading to a number of arrests lasted till weekend.
The MAKIA Command of the Agency in Kano also intercepted and seized a consignment meant for export to Manchester, United Kingdom at its Cargo shed. A sample of the suspected substance in the consignment was sent for laboratory analysis, the result of which came out positive to khat, weighing 36kg. This brings the total weight of illicit drugs seized at the two international airports to 61.3kg.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Anti Narcotics body Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the Lagos and Kano airports Commands of the Agency for not allowing the illicit substances escape their watch either into Nigeria or foreign jurisdictions. He assured them that he would continue to do his best to improve their welfare and take the anti-drug law enforcement agency to an enviable height.
( Editor : Omor Bazuaye)
