Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 19-year-old student, Nnamani Daberechi for attempting to export 7.2 kilograms of methamphetamine disguised as crayfish.
Also in the net is a female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, who produces and distributes skuchies, a mixture of cannabis, opioids and black currant.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi disclosed that Daberechi was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Europe for undergraduate studies. He was intercepted on July 15 during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624.
“While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies. But upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found in possession of 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish.
“A field test of the substance however proved positive to Methamphetamine, ” he said.
In the same vein, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the agency on July 11 intercepted 116.5kg consignment of Colorado.
Babafemi who described the drug as a strong strain of cannabis was concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicles parts.
This, he said was on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
“Based on intelligence, the agency had requested for a 100 percent examination of the container which arrived the TICT terminal of the port on June 14. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS and other stakeholders on Tuesday July 11, led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance,” said Babafemi.
Helen was arrested in a follow up operation in Awka, Anambra, following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki.
Another suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu was arrested on July 13 at Mushin, Lagos, with 86 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. Babafemi said that the drugs weighing 8.6 litres were in his Toyota bus marked FFA 241YB.
The NDLEA spokesman said two suspects, Razak Ogunbo and Adeola Idowu, were nabbed on July 11 at Ikorodu with 51 litres of skuchies.
He added that 372kg cannabis sativa and 48 bottles of skuchies measuring 48 litres were recovered from the home of a fleeing drug dealer at Akala, Mushin Lagos on July 12.
“In Ondo state, operatives stormed a building at Ehin-Ala, Akure South LGA where they arrested one Abubakar Zayanu Gyambar, 28, with 162 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,944 kilograms.
“Another suspect, Henry Wilson, 50, was nabbed at Ogume town, Ndokwa West LGA, Delta, with same substance weighing 216.5kg,” he disclosed.