Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted large consignments of cocaine and Indian hemp concealed in household items and vehicles imported from Durban-South Africa and Canada at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, explained that following coordinated intelligence and months of tracking, the illicit drugs, along with arms, ammunition and sundry military effects, were seized during a joint examination of three containers by the agency’s officers and their counterparts from the customs service and other security agencies from January 18 to 19, 2024.
He said, “The agency’ sniffer dogs were deployed to help identify locations and bags used in concealing the illicit items. Items recovered from the containers include 1,274 parcels of cocaine and Colorado (hemp) with a total weight of 884.09kg; four pistols; 197 rounds of 9mm ammunition; 49 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 275 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition and sundry military effects, as well as chemicals in kegs.
“With the exception of 32.5kg shipment of Colorado that came in used vehicles from Canada, the rest of the items were found in two of three containers that arrived the Tin Can Port from Durban, South Africa on board a vessel marked, MSC RESILIENT III, and discharged on New Year’s eve, 31st December, 2023.”