By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
PLOYS TO smuggle 256 wraps of cocaine, weighing 6 kilograms, into the country through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, have been foiled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The seizure marks the largest single interception of cocaine at the airport since the establishment of the NDLEA MAKIA Command in 2006.
The operation, which took place on Sunday, 15th December 2024, involved the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus, a businessman who claims to be involved in import and export, was apprehended during body screening.
Officers discovered hundreds of cocaine pellets concealed within his body.
In a separate incident, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, thwarted another smuggling attempt by an ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede.
The suspect was caught at the export shed of the airport while trying to ship a consignment of rohypnol to South Africa.
The consignment, hidden among items such as gari, shoes, and men’s singlets, was intercepted during routine checks.
Olanrewaju had previously been convicted for a similar offence in December 2023. He was arrested for attempting to smuggle 4.90kg of tramadol and 2.10kg of rohypnol to South Africa and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
However, he opted to pay a fine of ₦900,000 and was released, only to return to the same criminal activity.
Meanwhile, an Italy-based businesswoman, Cynthia Akaeen, was apprehended on Wednesday, 18th December 2024, at the MMIA while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy via Addis Ababa.
During the outward clearance process, officers intercepted her with 9,190 tablets of tramadol, weighing 6 kilograms.
She confessed that she was promised €1,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy.
In another major bust, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in the building materials market in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Tuesday, 17th December.
The operation, based on credible intelligence, led to the recovery of 418,330 pills of tramadol 225mg, 100mg, tapentadol 250mg, and 8,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, a joint examination of a container originating from Mundra, India, on Wednesday, 18th December, uncovered 180,000 bottles of codeine syrup.
The examination involved officers from NDLEA, Customs, DSS, police, and other security agencies.
The consignee, identified as Makata Emmanuel, was promptly arrested and taken into custody.
In Borno State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Ishaya Wabba, 54, and Samaila Audu, 44, during a stop-and-search operation at Pompomari Bypass, Maiduguri.
They were found in a Toyota Sienna bus carrying 293,000 capsules of tramadol, a pistol, and 26 rounds of 7.65mm live ammunition.
Another suspect, Sanusi Abdul Hamid, 37, was arrested in the Gwange area of Maiduguri with 260,000 capsules of tramadol on Monday, 16th December.
Further arrests in Maiduguri included a 35-year-old suspect,
Modu Kolera, who was caught on Wednesday, 18th December, in the Customs area with 8.5 kilograms of cannabis, 5,000 pills of tramadol, 7,500 diazepam tablets, 14,500 exol tablets, and 50 litres of a psychoactive substance known as “suck and die,” all packed in a Volkswagen Golf car marked DKW 812 AA.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Gafar Saminu, on Wednesday, 18th December, with 33.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa at Ayete.
Meanwhile, in Enugu State, a raid at the Aria New Market on the same day led to the recovery of 94 kilograms of cannabis.
Another interception occurred at Maza-Maza, Lagos, where a consignment of 32 kilograms of ephedrine, a precursor chemical intended for the Southeast, was seized on Monday, 16th December.
The consignment was discovered at the Young Shall Grow Luxurious Vehicles Park during an operation.
Across the country, the NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, holding sensitisation sessions in schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities.
According to the news release signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, on Sunday, 22nd December 2024, lectures were delivered at Wajah Girls Government Day Secondary School in Hong, Adamawa State; Government Girls Tahfizul Quran Salihawa in Gwarzo, Kano State; and Riyadul Quran Islamiyya School in Bagudo, Kebbi State.
Commending the officers and men of the MAKIA, MMIA, Anambra, Borno, Lagos, Oyo, Enugu, and Tincan Commands for their dedication and successes, NDLEA Chairman Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them to sustain their efforts.
He emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction strategies.
