The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had seized 200 kilograms of illicit substances in the Lagos, Kano and Abuja airports.
The agency’s director of media and advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
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He stated that a 41-year-old Adewuyi Olayinka was arrested while trying to export 650 grams of cocaine to the United Kingdom. According to him, the drugs were wrapped in two parcels to be taken through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company export shed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
“The drugs were concealed in dry pepper and herbal concoction.
“In the same vein, 107kg of hard drug suspected to be Khat was seized at the cargo shed of the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, while being exported to Canada.
“The drug, which weighed 107kg, was concealed in a golden colour cellophane bags covered with textile materials and labelled as tea to deceive and mislead our officers.
“The so-called tea rose the suspicion of officers at the cargo shed, who insisted that it must be subjected to laboratory analysis.
“This is because the so-called tea came from Lagos by road to Kano, and our operatives wondered why the owner did not use the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.
“The shipment was delayed until sample was taken to our forensic laboratory for analysis. The result came out positive for Khat. It has since been seized and is now in our custody,’’ he said.
Babafemi also said an attempt by a trafficker to export 92.250kg of Khat using the Abuja airport was frustrated
He added that the hard drug was packed in six cartons, heading to Goussainville in France and had been confiscated.
He said the clearing agent processing the consignment for export claimed the cargo was dried moringa leaves, but upon laboratory tests, it turned out to be hard drug (NAN).