Consignments of Colorado concealed in vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada, and packs of cannabis juice flown in from South Africa, meant for distribution ahead of Christmas, have been intercepted.
A statement on Sunday said men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency seized the drugs at the Tincan seaport, Apapa, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
No fewer than 12 suspects were reportedly arrested in connection with the two seizures.
The statement, signed by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport and the search of a consolidated cargo from South Africa led to the discovery of smuggled bottles of cannabis juice with a gross weight of 16.50kg on Wednesday, December 21.
“Investigations by anti-narcotic officers subsequently led to the arrest of four freight agents: Soremekun Wasiu, Olufisayo Dayo, Moruf Bashir and Imole Ajayi, whose statements eventually led to the arrest of the consignee, a wine shop business owner, Emebede Chuka, the following day, Thursday, December 22.
“Also, an attempt to export quantities of cannabis and ecstasy pills also known as MDMA concealed in beverage drink, Bournvita, containers to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, through the NAHCO export shed on Friday, December 23, was frustrated while a vulcaniser given the assignment for a fee of N4,000, Iyanda Ogunleye Yaya, has been arrested,” the statement added.
In the same vein, a consignment of 185 parcels of cannabis indica, popularly called Colorado, weighing 61.3kgs were reportedly seized during a joint examination of a container at the Tincan seaport, Lagos.
The container, marked MSCU5206726 from Montreal, Canada, was declared as containing three units of used vehicles.
However, upon a 100% examination, it was found to contain two vehicles; a 2009 Toyota Corolla and a 2009 Ford Econoline bus, as well as used car engines, bicycles, shoes and other items, including the drugs. Two dock workers: Abdulquadri Abdulazeez and Ogbuji Kenneth, are already in NDLEA custody in connection with the seizure following their initial arrest by the port security and the police.
In Kano, two suspects: Nura Zakariya’u and Alkasim Abubakar, were arrested along Zaria-Kano Road, Kwanar Dangora, with 161 blocks of cannabis weighing 152kg and various quantities of exol and codeine-based syrup, while a total of 100,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a suspect, Amaechi Johnson, in Imo State, on his way to Onitsha, Anambra State.