- Safiu Kehinde
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish.
Coupled with the interception of the consignment was the arrest of a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance across the world especially to India.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the suspect consignment was intercepted during a well-coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday.
“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as “Okporoko.”
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India.” Babafemi wrote.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company.
Contained in one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, was 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine.
These were concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
In yet another major interdiction operation, operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the Agency on Thursday raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi at 13 Carter street, Yaba, Lagos.
Omolade was arrested alongside her sales girl, Sarah Agbabiaka, with no fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, recovered from them.
Omolade, popularly known as Iya Ghana, reportedly trades in local fabric on the surface.
She however allegedly run a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.
Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested a 39-year-old Anayo Lucky Ohabiro at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence.
A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him.