The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently discovered illegal drugs hidden inside baby food tins, weighing a total of 18.50 kilograms. Some of the drugs were found in Cerelac baby food containers.
The NDLEA team revealed this information on Sunday. The drugs were intercepted at both Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier service in Lagos. The containers were heading to the United States and the United Kingdom.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, explained that the drugs were concealed in six cartons of Cerelac baby food tins, with six containers in each carton. These were found at the SAHCOL export shed at Lagos airport on July 31, 2024.
The drugs found included a potent strain of cannabis. The total weight of the seized drugs was 18.50 kilograms. A freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, who was handling the shipment to the UK, was arrested. Further investigation led to the arrest of Bello Motunrayo Folu, the sender, in Ibadan, Oyo state.
The Cerelac tins appeared factory-sealed on top but were tampered with at the bottom. The drugs were hidden beneath loose quantities of the baby cereal, but the NDLEA officers were able to detect and intercept the illegal substances.
The NDLEA also intercepted other shipments containing various drugs hidden in clothes and other items destined for the US and UK. These included opioids and other psychoactive substances such as promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine.
One shipment containing 820 grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was heading to the US, while the rest, weighing over two kilograms, were going to the UK. They were seized at a logistics company in Lagos on July 29, 2024.
On August 2, 2024, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis. These were hidden in the body compartments of four imported vehicles. The total weight of this seizure was 38.5 kilograms. Two suspects involved in clearing the shipments were arrested.
Additional arrests included Isiagu Sunday in Lagos with codeine syrup and Molly tablets, and five suspects in Ondo state with 50 bags of cannabis weighing 520 kilograms.
The NDLEA’s anti-drug activities also extended to Edo state, where 220 kilograms of cannabis were seized, and a suspect was arrested. Another suspect was caught with 40 blocks of cannabis on the Okene-Lokoja highway.
The NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) with sensitization activities in schools, workplaces, and communities across the country. These efforts are aimed at reducing drug supply and educating the public on the dangers of drug abuse.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the officers involved in these operations and encouraged them to maintain their dedication and enthusiasm in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday, August 4, 2024
