Drug consignments hidden in Cerelac baby food tins and clothes bound for the US and UK seized by NDLEA. Discover the details of the interception.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed that they had discovered numerous shipments of illegal drugs cloaked within containers of Cerelac baby food and garments en route to both the United States and United Kingdom.
On Wednesday, at the export shed of Lagos airport, NDLEA discovered a strong type of cannabis concealed in six cartons containing branded Nestle Cerelac baby food. The 36 parcels were divided into packages with six containers each and had an overall weight of 18.50 kilograms. This psychoactive substance was confiscated by authorities.
Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi disclosed this information in a statement on Sunday.
According to Babafemi, the individual named Salaudeen Suliat Abiola who submitted the shipment for exportation to the UK was immediately apprehended. Further investigation in Ibadan located and detained Bello Motunrayo Folu as being responsible for sending out this cargo on Saturday within Oyo State.
According to him, the Cerelac cans had intact seals at the top but were tampered with at the bottom as a means of concealing drugs. The illicit substances were camouflaged by loose amounts of baby cereal in order to evade detection.
Furthermore, NDLEA agents in Lagos discovered five distinct parcels of opioids and other psychoactive materials that consisted of promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol and morphine. The items were hidden within clothing articles as well as various products intended for export to the US and UK.
At a logistics firm in Lagos on Monday, July 29th, Babafemi revealed that a shipment consisting of 820 grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was destined for the United States. Additionally, he noted that four parcels weighing over two kilograms containing opioids like tramadol 225mg, molly and NPS were headed to the United Kingdom. These shipments were seized by authorities at their arrival point.
At the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives discovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud – a synthetic cannabis strain- hidden inside four imported vehicles: Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Sienna. The Customs Service collaborated with other stakeholders during this joint examination operation which resulted in the recovery of contraband weighing up to 38.5 kilograms. Two suspects assigned to clearing these shipments have been arrested; Salami Abiodun Sunday (aged thirty-four) and Lekan Atoyebi (aged thirty-three).
Isiagu Sunday was apprehended on Thursday, August 1st in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos with a substantial quantity of codeine syrup (weighing 174 liters) and molly tablets (totaling to 1,070 pieces weighing approximately 600 grams). On the other hand, Itaogbolu Forest of Akure North LG Area saw five suspects taken into custody for possessing psychoactive substances amounting to around forty-two kilograms. This arrest followed four additional culprits nabbed following an operation that unearthed fifty bags containing cannabis having a collective weight touching roughly five hundred twenty kilos within Isuada locality situated in Owo Council Area of Ondo State. The group consists of Jimoh Omotosho aged sixty-three years old; Donald Obi age sixty two; Emmanuel Patrick at twenty-one years old; Kayode owaseun who is thirty-nine as well as John Nsikan who clocks thirty-four respectively are considered prime suspects behind possession or illegal sale/transportation thereof dictated by law enforcement regulations laid out against these illicit activities
On Tuesday, July 30th in Egbeta Community, Ovia North East Area of Edo State, a total of 22 and a half bags weighing at least 220 kilograms containing cannabis were seized by authorities. This led to the arrest of Osayede Aghoma. Similarly on Wednesday, July 31st along the Okene-Lokoja highway an additional suspect named Ibrahim Abubakar (aged fifty-five) was caught with forty blocks , equating nineteen point two kilograms weight-wise from within a commercial bus headed for Kano while traveling from Lagos which happened to be comprised of this same illicit substance.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), lauded the officers and personnel of Tincan Commands, Lagos, DOGI as well as MMIA Kogi, Edo and Ondo for their effective operations leading to arrests and seizures in response to this development. He acknowledged their noteworthy contribution towards decreasing drug distribution while engaging positively with WADA sensitization initiatives; further encouraging them along with all colleagues stationed throughout Nigeria to keep up their enthusiasm level so they can maintain that momentum going forward.
