Consignments of a variant of cannabis concealed in vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada and packs of cannabis juice flown in from South Africa, meant for distribution ahead of the Christmas season, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement that the drugs were intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
He said at least 12 suspects including two dockworkers and a wine shop owner have been arrested in connection with the two seizures.
The NDLEA also recovered 152kg of skunk from two dealers in Kano; 100,000 pills of Tramadol in Imo State and 520kg of cannabis hidden in soft drinks crates loaded in a truck coming to Abuja.
The statement reads, “At the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport, the search of a consolidated cargo from South Africa led to the discovery of smuggled bottled Cannabis juice with a gross weight of 16.50kg on Wednesday 21st December. Investigations by anti-narcotics officers subsequently led to the arrest of four freight agents, whose statements eventually led to the arrest of the consignee, a wine shop business owner the following day Thursday 22nd Dec.
“Also, an attempt to export quantities of cannabis and ecstasy pills also known as MDMA concealed in beverage drink, Bournvita, containers to Dubai, UAE, through the NAHCO export shed on Friday 23rd Dec was frustrated while a vulcaniser given the assignment for a fee of N4,000, Iyanda Ogunleye Yaya has been arrested.
“In the same vein, a consignment of 185 parcels of cannabis Indica, popularly called Colorado weighing 61.3kgs have been 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 but upon a 100% examination, it was found to contain two vehicles; a 2009 Toyota Corolla car 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.”
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