NDLEA Intercepts N2bn Drugs At Lagos Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted illicit drugs worth over N2bn at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Head of the MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, said the suspected trafficker, Bright Aniede, was arrested on Sunday, March 28, 2021, during the outward clearance of passengers on Air Marroc.

He alleged that Aniede concealed 7.1 kilogrammes of Methamphetamine in food spices, packed in a Swiss polo suitcase.

Garba, in a statement, said the illicit substance was bound for Spain with a street value of over N2bn.

“Unarguably, the closure of borders occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for the surge in the price of these drugs. For instance, the price of meth in Australia has increased from $200 to $600 per gramme due to supply cuts, hence the desperation by the traffickers and barons alike,” he added.

In a related development, the command said it also intercepted one Bamidele Adeyemo at SAHCO export shed of the airport with 800 grammes of cannabis sativa, while operatives also seized 19.950kg of green leaves, suspected to be khat.

The cannabis, which was cleverly concealed in foodstuffs, was reportedly bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In a follow up operation, one Asonye Christian was arrested in connection with the seizure of 800 grammes of cannabis.

Marwa, NDLEA workers take drug integrity test

Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), on Monday led directors and staff at the national headquarters of the agency to submit to an impromptu drug integrity test.

The workers were taken by shock when, upon resumption, the gates to the headquarters office were shut and everyone asked to gather in batches at the conference hall.

A team of medical doctors, led by the Medical Director of Synapse Services, Dr Vincent Udenze, a consultant in addiction psychiatry, was assembled with equipment for a urine drug test.

Marwa said the surprise test was necessary to ensure that charity begins at home.

He said, “We cannot be asking others to undergo a drug test without submitting ourselves to the same. Coming out clean and negative gives us the moral authority to conduct the test on others.”

Results already released by the medical team showed that Marwa tested negative, along with the NDLEA Secretary, Shadrack Haruna, and other directors at the headquarters of the agency.