A 34-year-old Surinamese, Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Surinamese was arrested for allegedly bringing into Nigeria 117 parcels of cocaine concealed in extra-large Latex condoms factory-packed inside bottles of 100ml body spray.
This was as NDLEA intercepts 1,559.3kg Colorado at Tincan Port and five states; and 648,050 pills of opioids in Lagos, Imo, Taraba states.
As contained in a press release by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Surinamese claimed he departed his country, Suriname, located in the north-eastern coast of South America on 2 April for Sao Paulo, Brazil.
He said he left Sao Paulo for Nigeria on Friday, 7 April, 2023 on board Qatar Airways flight in search of his long-lost Nigerian father whom he called “Omini.”
In the same vein, NDLEA officers at Tincan Seaport in Lagos have intercepted 110 parcels of Colorado, a strain of cannabis, weighing 55kg hidden in a container marked MSCU 4972769 from Toronto, via Montreal, Canada.
“The illicit consignment was discovered in the container bearing five units of used vehicles, during a joint examination of the cargo by NDLEA and other port stakeholders.
“The seizure was part of a total of 1,559.3 kilograms (1.5 tons) of the psychoactive substance seized during interdiction operations in five states in the past week,” Babafemi stated.
While two suspects- Nura Ibrahim, 40, and Habibu Sadiq, 38, were arrested with 120 blocks of cannabis weighing 148.7kg along Zaria-Kano Road, Kano on Sunday, 2 April.
Found on them was not less than 418.5kg of the same substance, while a Sienna Space Bus used in conveying it were recovered on Thursday, 6 April at a notorious drug hub, Patey, Lagos Island.
A suspect, Azi Solomon, was arrested same day at the Ojota Motor Park while attempting to move 23kg cannabis to another state.
“Similarly, two suspects, Abubakar Abdulahi and Stanley Tobias, were arrested on Friday, 7 April with 108,000 tablets of tramadol at Oyingbo Motor Park in Lagos Mainland.
In Imo State, NDLEA operatives on routine patrol along Owerri-Onitsha Expressway intercepted a commercial bus.
A total of 37, 210 pills of opioids and 30 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the bus and three suspects were arrested in follow up operations, Babafemi added.
A total of 40.9kg cannabis was sized from two suspects: Haruna Adamu (32), and Salisu Ibrahim (30), in parts of Taraba State.
This was as 502, 840 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Imrana Aliyu, in Wukari on Thursday, 6 April.
Illicit drug weighing 205.6kg was recovered from the home of a fleeing suspect in the Gida Dubu area of Bauchi metropolis.
The Sokoto State command of the NDLEA also received 667.6kg cannabis seized by men of the Customs Service along Illela-Niger Republic Border, Babafemi stated in the release.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended the officers and men of PHIA, Tincan, Kano, Lagos, Imo, Taraba, Bauchi, and Sokoto state commands of the agency for their vigilance and professionalism.
He urged them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the momentum in their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand and, even strive to exceed set targets.
