NDLEA seizes ‘single largest cocaine cosignment’ at Kano airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized the single largest haul of cocaine at the Kano airport since the creation of the MAKIA Command of the agency in 2006.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, director of media and advocacy, NDLEA, said the interception was made on December 15 during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Babayemi said Olisaka Calistus, the suspect who claims to be an import and export businessman, attempted to smuggle 256 wraps of cocaine weighing 6 kilograms into the country through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

He said Calistus was nabbed through body screening during which he was found to have packed hundreds of cocaine pellets on his body.

In a related development, Olanrewaju Akorede, an ex-convict, was caught by the NDLEA while attempting to export a consignment of rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos.

“Olarenwaju was convicted for a similar crime earlier this year following his arrest on 12th December 2023 for attempting to ship 4.90kg tramadol and 2.10kg rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Lagos airport,” Babayemi said.

“He was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos with an option to pay a fine of N900,000, which he paid and was freed before returning to repeat the same crime.”

Babayemi also said Cynthia Akaeen, an Italy-based businesswoman, was arrested on Wednesday while trying to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy via Addis Ababa.

“The suspect was intercepted at the departure point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport during an outward clearance of passengers going to Italy,” the director said.

“A total of 9,190 tablets of various brands of tramadol weighing 6.00kg were recovered from her. According to her, she was promised 1,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy.”

NDLEA SEIZES 418,330 TRAMADOL PILLS, 8,000 BOTTLES OF CODEINE IN ANAMBRA

According to the statement, no fewer than 418,330 pills of tramadol 225mg, 100mg, and 250mg of tapentadol, along with 8,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup, were recovered from a warehouse at a building material market in Onitsha, Anambra.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives raided the market following credible intelligence on Tuesday.

In addition, at the Tincan Island port in Lagos, a total of 180,000 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered on Wednesday from a container, which originated from Mundra, India.

“The seizure was made during a joint examination of the container by men of NDLEA, Customs, DSS, police, and other security agencies at the port, while a suspect, Makata Emmanuel, who is the consignee and notify party, was promptly taken into custody,” Babafemi said.

“A total of 293,000 capsules of tramadol, a pistol and 26 rounds of 7.65mm live ammunition were recovered from the duo of Ishaya Wabba, 54, and Samaila Audu, 44, when they were arrested in a Toyota Sienna bus at Pompomari Bypass, Maiduguri, Borno state, while another suspect, Sanusi Abdul Hamid, 37, was nabbed at Gwange area of the state capital with 260,000 capsules of the same psychoactive substance on Monday 16th December.

“A 35-year-old suspect, Modu Kolera, was equally arrested on Wednesday 18th December at Customs area of Maiduguri with 8.5kg cannabis; 5,000 pills of tramadol; 7,500 tabs of diazepam; 14,500 tablets of exol, and 50 litres of suck and die, a new psychoactive substance, in his Volkswagen Golf car marked DKW 812 AA.

“While a suspect, Gafar Saminu, 30, was arrested on Wednesday 18th December with 33.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa, at Ayete, Oyo state, NDLEA operatives in Enugu same day raided the Aria new market where they recovered 94kg of same substance.”

Also in Lagos, Babafemi said a consignment of 32 kilograms of ephedrine, a precursor chemical going to the South East, was recovered on Monday at the Young Shall Grow Luxurious Vehicles Park, Maza-maza.

The agency said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the NDLEA across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities in the past week.

The director said the programmes included WADA sensitisation lectures to students and staff of Wajah Girls Government Day Secondary School, Hong, Adamawa; students and staff of Government Girls Tahfizul Quran Salihawa, Gwarzo, Kano; and students and staff of Riyadul Quran Islamiyya School, Bagudo, Kebbi state.