NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicates

Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have recovered multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy-duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric (Kente), among others in a nationwide intelligence-led operation.

While 2.32kgs of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5th August 2024, 10.494kgs of the same class A drug buried in heavy-duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug.

A spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said that this bring the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814kgs.

“In the same vein, five other consignments going to the US, UK and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9th August 2024.

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“They include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada,” Babafemi said.

In a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kgs coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja.

In another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7th August arrested a suspected member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.

Two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8th August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo State same day.

While the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kgs cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kgs cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kgs cocaine at Oba town.