The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reports that at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos, it has seized several shipments of illegal drugs hidden in clothing, tins of baby food containers, and other items bound for the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a statement released on Sunday, August 4, Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, stated that on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at the SAHCOL export shed of Lagos airport, no fewer than 36 parcels containing a potent cannabis strain were found hidden inside six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food, with six containers in each package.
The statement claims that the total weight of the psychoactive material is 18.50 kg.
According to Babafemi, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, a goods agent, was quickly apprehended after presenting the shipment for sale to the UK.
He stated that on Saturday, August 3, a follow-up operation to Ibadan, Oyo state, resulted in the arrest of Bello Motunrayo Folu, the cargo’s sender, at her No. 20 Mofoluwasho Estate, Elewuro, Akobo area of the state capital.
He claimed the Cerelac tins were factory-sealed at the top but tampered with at the bottom.
According to him, the substances covered in loose quantities of infant cereal meal were concealed at the bottom.
In the same light, Babafemi stated that five distinct shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, including promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine concealed in clothing and other things intended for export to the United States and the United Kingdom, were also intercepted by NDLEA agents in Lagos.
He stated that one of the shipments, which had 820 grammes of promethazine and pentazocine injections, was bound for the United States, while the remaining four boxes, which contained more than two kilogrammes of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly, and NPS, were bound for the United Kingdom.
They were all apprehended on Monday, July 29th, at a logistics company in Lagos, he claimed.
“In the meantime, during a joint examination of some containers with men of the Customs Service and other stakeholders, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos on Friday, August 2nd, recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, from the body compartments of four vehicles: a Toyota Highlander, a Ford Explorer, a Toyota Corolla, and a Toyota Sienna imported from Canada,” the statement reads.
The two suspects, Salami Abiodun Sunday,, and Lekan Atoyebi, who were in charge of clearing the shipments, have been arrested. The seized consignments weigh a combined 38.5 kg.
“On August 1st, while Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos, with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 174 litres and 1,070 tablets of Molly weighing 600 grammes, at least 50 bags of cannabis with a gross weight of 520 kg were recovered in the bush at Isuada, Owo council area of Ondo state,” the statement reads.
“Five suspects were arrested at Itaogbolu forest, Akure North LG area of the state,” Jimoh Omotosho, Donald Obi, Emmanuel Patrick, Kayode Oluwaseun, and John Nsikan.
“On Tuesday, July 30th, twenty-two and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220kg were recovered from the Egbeta community in the Ovia North East area of Edo state, and a suspect, Osayede Aghoma, was arrested.”
“Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar was apprehended on Wednesday, July 31st, with 40 blocks of the same drug totalling 19.200kg on the Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Kano.
“With the same zeal, the Agency’s commands and formations around the country resumed their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among other places, over the last week.
“These include WADA enlightenment lectures for students and staff of Khuddam College of Health Technology, Kofar Kaura, Katsina state; staff of Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta state; youths of St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Okpuno Awka, Anambra state; and a WADA advocacy visit to the Lisa of Ifon and community leaders in Ondo state, among others.
“While appreci the officers and men of MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan, Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitisation activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the zeal and tempo.”
In Essence
The targeting of international markets, specifically the U.S. and the U.K, suggests the existence of well-established trafficking networks that connect Nigerian operations with global drug markets. This shows the importance of international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.
The NDLEA’s successful interception of these shipments also reflecta positively on the agency’s intelligence-gathering, investigative capabilities, and operational effectiveness.
Because the use of baby food containers to conceal narcotics shows the scope of drug traffickers in attempting to evade detection. This tactic shows the lengths to which traffickers will go to disguise illegal substances and the need for vigilance and innovation in law enforcement practices.
