The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized arms and ammunition from a suspected bandit and a drug kingpin in Plateau State while N1, 413,344 was also recovered from him.
The agency also seized 137.754kgs of assorted illicit drugs during interdiction operations across seven states in the past week.
Spokesman for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said on January 11, operatives of the Plateau Command arrested a suspected bandit, Abdullahi Usman Ahmad, 28, at Hwolshe with one Beretta pistol, seven rounds of live ammunition, two empty shells, 12 grams of Indian hemp, a pair of handcuffs and N1,136,344, suspected to be ransom money.
He said the suspect was arrested with an Opel car with registration number ZAR35LQ.
Babafemi also said a cocaine dealer in the state, Chibueze Okoro John, 42, was arrested along Zaria road, Jos, with quantities of cocaine and Tramadol recovered from him as well as a Sienna Bus (BWR 584 AL), Toyota Camry car (RBC 461 BF) and the sum of N277,000, which the suspect offered to the narcotic officers as a bribe but was rejected.
He further said the agency intercepted 1.5m tablets and capsules of opioids such as Tramadol, Exol-5 and Diazepam, which was being taken from Onitsha, Anambra State to Yauri, Kebbi State.
“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives in Edo State on Friday, January 14, intercepted a trailer coming from Onitsha and going to Yauri in Kebbi State. A thorough search of the truck led to the discovery of psychotropic substances concealed under legitimate goods.
“The drugs seized include: 394,480 capsules and 3,000 tablets of Tramadol weighing 83.707kg; Exol-5: 647,500 tablets weighing 203.315kg; Diazepam: 12,500 tablets weighing 2.05kg; Bromazepam: 1,500 tablets weighing 0.45kg; Codeine based Syrup: 999 bottles weighing 134.865kg; Pentazocine injections: 4,000 ampoules weighing 16.64kg.
“The driver of the truck, Bashir Lawali, 30, was arrested along with Abubakar Sani, 30 and Ali Abubakar, 19,” Babafemi said.
He also said that attempts by drug traffickers to export 73 parcels of hemp (34.05kg) concealed in foodstuff plastic containers to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, were frustrated by operatives on January 8.
Just as, according to him, 50 parcels of hemp consignment (27.25kg) meant for the United States was also intercepted at the export shed of the airport on January 11 and three suspects were arrested.
He said suspects were also arrested in Delta, Ondo, Yobe and FCT for various drug offences.
