Safiu Kehinde
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has disclosed the interception of 5.6 million pills of Opoid pills in Kano State as well as 1,274 parcels of Cocaine and Colorado in Lagos.
The agency made this known in a recent publication on its official website earlier today.
As contained in the statement, the large consignments of Cocaine and Colorado, linked to one 41-year old Akara Chibugo, were concealed in containerized household items and vehicles imported from Durban, South Africa and Canada at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos following months of intelligence gathering.
“Following coordinated intelligence and months of tracking of the containers by three special units of NDLEA, the illicit drugs along with arms, ammunition and sundry military effects were seized during joint examination of the three containers by the Agency’s officers and their counterparts from Customs Service and other security agencies between Thursday 18th and Friday 19th January 2024.
Some of the Agency’s sniffer dogs were also deployed to help identify locations and bags used in concealing the illicit items.
“Some of the items recovered from the containers include: 1, 274 parcels of Cocaine and Colorado with a total weight of 884.09 kilograms; 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 personnel effects as well as some chemicals in kegs.” The statement read.
On the other hand, the 5.6 million Opoid pills comprising of 250mg Tramadol and Exol-5 were seized from three suspects in Kano.
“In Kano, no fewer than five million six hundred and fifty three thousand (5, 653,000) pills of tramadol 250mg and exol-5 were seized from three suspects.
While Nura Abdullahi, 38, and Tahir Muhammad Mukhtar, 42, were arrested at Bacharawa area of Kano with 5, 404,000 pills of tramadol 250mg on Sunday 14th January, Yusuf Umar, 50, was nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state the previous day Saturday 13th January with 249,000 tablets of exol-5 by NDLEA operatives.” The statement read further.
Recall that the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, had earlier vowed to unveil the agency’s discoveries at Tincan Port and Kano, while reporting the interception of illicit drugs concealed in Milo Container.