NDLEA intercepts UK, Ireland, Australia-bound hard drugs

The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said on Tuesday in Abuja that a notorious trafficker, Sikiru Owolabi, who is behind at least two of the parcels has been traced and arrested after days of thorough and systematic surveillance by NDLEA operatives. According to him, undercover narcotic agents attached to two international courier companies in Lagos made the seizures.

Babafemi said that Sikiru Owolabi, who has made useful confessions during interrogations, was tracked after 1kg of cocaine concealed in cream containers and meant for Dublin in Northern Ireland was intercepted at one of the courier firms in Lagos.

He said that this was also followed by the discovery of another 200grammes of cocaine meant for London, United Kingdom in the same courier company.

“In another undercover operation, 320grammes of heroin concealed in earrings coming from Congo and going to Australia was seized at a different courier firm in Lagos, just as another 390 grammes of cocaine hidden in men’s clothing and going to Northern Ireland was intercepted in the same company.

“While 500grammes of cannabis sativa concealed in automobile parts going to New Zealand was seized at one of the courier companies, 200 grammes of methamphetamine hidden inside an award plaque and going to New Zealand, with another 200 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a book and going to Maldives, were equally intercepted in another firm,” Babafemi said.

He also said that besides the arrest of Owolabi, efforts are ongoing to track and arrest other traffickers behind the other unaccompanied illicit drugs packaged as parcels for shipment to Europe.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the men and officers involved in the operations to frustrate attempts by drug barons and traffickers to ship illicit drugs overseas through unaccompanied parcels.

“I ask all our men and officers involved in the various overt and covert operations across the country to continue with the ongoing offensive action until we chase the criminal elements out of their illicit and damaging trade,” Marwa said.