The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted cocaine shipments concealed in lipstick containers and property title documents en route to the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, respectively. The seizures were made last Thursday at a courier company in Lagos by operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).
Spokesman for the agency, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that 420 grammes of cocaine were discovered inside 84 pieces of female lipsticks destined for the UK, while 280 grammes were concealed within a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) heading to Saudi Arabia.
In a related operation, a notorious drug baron, Ajetsibo Emami, alias Warri Kinsman, was arrested on June 28 in Ikeja, Lagos. NDLEA operatives also arrested three other suspects in a three-day sting operation, recovering 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud cannabis weighing 414.2 kg. The bust followed intelligence about an attempt to move the drugs to Lekki for wider distribution.
Also in Lagos, a family-run drug network was dismantled after DSS operatives arrested businessman Ajah Uchenna and his wife, Rosemary, in Ojo with 277.5 kg of cannabis. Subsequent raids uncovered another 231 kg at their residence and led to the arrest of their daughters and a family friend, who had continued the operation.
At Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA officers intercepted a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, smuggling 7,660 tramadol pills hidden in food items destined for Italy. In another airport operation, 52 travelers’ cheques worth 17.7 million Australian dollars, suspected to be counterfeit, were found hidden in children’s books. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested and handed over to the EFCC.
Other significant operations include:
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Seme Border (Lagos): 718 large balls of skunk (359 kg) recovered.
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Okene-Lokoja Highway: 10,000 tramadol pills, 1.05 kg of Colorado cannabis intercepted; suspects arrested in Abuja.
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Osun State: Several raids yielded over 62,000 opioid pills and ampoules, while 24,175 kg of cannabis was destroyed on 9.67 hectares of farmland in Oke-Ila forest. Seven suspects were arrested.
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Borno and Kano States: A combined 619 kg of skunk seized; four suspects arrested.
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Abuja-Kaduna Expressway & Sokoto: Over 15,000 pills of tramadol intercepted.
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Kebbi & Taraba States: Over 360 kg of drugs and nearly 60,000 pills of diazepam and tramadol seized.
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Edo State: Cannabis farms raided; four suspects arrested, including a wanted drug trafficker.
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Cross River State: A 78-year-old man and others arrested with skunk and tramadol during raids in Obubra LGA.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy efforts continue nationwide.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across Lagos, MMIA, Seme, Kogi, Osun, Borno, Kano, Cross River, Kebbi, and other state commands for their unwavering commitment to drug law enforcement, striking a balance between supply reduction and demand control.
