Joy Anyim
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano have intercepted and seized consignments of heroin and khat with a street value of over N10billion.
It was learned that the seizure at MMIA was made during cargo examination at SAHCO Import Shed, where a freight agent had presented a cargo from South Africa with an Ethiopian Airline ET 3901 Airway Bill no: 071-40689003 for examination before NDLEA operatives attached to the beat.
According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the Agency, Ahmadu Garba, NDLEA officers subsequently conducted a search of the cargo during which a suspected brownish substance was discovered concealed inside a red bag popularly called Ghana-must-go.
“During a preliminary interview of the suspect, it was gathered that another freight agent sub-contracted the clearing job to him and eventually six suspects have so far been arrested in follow-up operations, while the substance had tested positive to heroin with a total weight of 24.05kg.
“Another consignment in the consolidated cargo has also proved to be methamphetamine with a weight of 1.25kg, bringing the total weight of illicit drugs seized in the cargo to 25.3kg. Though the cargo arrived at the airport in the evening of April 16, properly searched the following day, follow-up operations leading to a number of arrests lasted till the weekend.
“The heroin and methamphetamine consignments were tagged in different names to deceive our officers but we still uncovered them and neutralized their plot,” he stated.
In a similar development, the MAKIA Command of the Agency in Kano intercepted and seized a consignment meant for export to Manchester, the United Kingdom at its Cargo shed.
Speaking on the seizure, Mohammed Ajiya, the Acting Commander, MAKIA Command, said: “Sample of the suspected substance in the consignment was sent for laboratory analysis, the result of which came out positive to khat, weighing 36kg.
“This brings the total weight of illicit drugs seized at the two international airports to 61.3kg. Further investigations are still ongoing to ascertain the true owners of the illegal consignment.”
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA commended the officers and men of the Lagos and Kano airports commands of the agency for not allowing the illicit substances to escape their watch either into Nigeria or foreign jurisdictions.
He assured them that he would continue to do his best to improve their welfare and take the anti-drug law enforcement agency to an enviable height.