The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking, intercepting a massive haul of cocaine worth billions of naira. The discovery was made during a series of nationwide intelligence-led operations carried out by officers of the Agency.
According to a statement issued by the NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the first of these interceptions occurred on Monday, August 5, 2024, at a courier firm in Lagos. Here, NDLEA operatives, acting on precise intelligence, uncovered 2.32 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within Ghanaian traditional Kente fabric. The consignment was en route to the United Kingdom when it was seized, preventing the dangerous substance from reaching its intended destination.
In a separate but related operation at the same logistics company, the NDLEA uncovered an even larger quantity of cocaine, weighing 10.494 kilograms. The illicit drug had been meticulously hidden inside heavy-duty automobile pivot shafts that were scheduled to be shipped to the United States. The drugs were detected with the help of the NDLEA’s highly trained sniffer dogs, who successfully identified the concealed narcotics within the automobile spare parts.
These were not the only significant seizures made by the NDLEA in recent days. The statement from the agency also revealed that, on Friday, August 9, 2024, officers intercepted five other consignments at the same courier firm in Lagos. Among these was 517 grams of cocaine hidden within various clothing materials, along with different quantities of controlled substances such as pentazocine injection, promethazine injection, and cocodamol pills. All of these were destined for the United Kingdom. Additionally, the NDLEA confiscated 297 pills of tramadol, a powerful opioid painkiller, which were bound for Canada.
The NDLEA’s operations have not been limited to Lagos. In a notable operation in Adamawa State on August 8, 2024, NDLEA operatives, with assistance from personnel of Operation Farauta Sector 3 in Mayo Belwa, apprehended a 49-year-old man named Joseph Peter. He was caught transporting 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing a total of 291.200 kilograms, in his Toyota Camry. The vehicle, which bore the registration number Lagos KSF 381 HM, was reportedly en route from Edo State, with Yola, Adamawa State, as its final destination.
These seizures underscore the NDLEA’s commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal drugs within and outside Nigeria. The agency’s recent successes reflect a broader strategy of using intelligence-led operations to target and dismantle drug trafficking networks at their source. The NDLEA remains steadfast in its mission to rid the nation of illicit drugs and to ensure that those involved in the drug trade are brought to justice.
