A 60-year-old grandmother and a pregnant woman were among those arrested during interdiction operations in which 5,527.15 kilograms of methamphetamine and cannabis sativa, as well as 132,090 tablets of tramadol and 2,000 bottles of codeine, were recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) across five states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in the past week.
This is contained in the report issued by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
According to the report, the grandmother, Mrs Ibinosun Sandra Esther was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo state in a follow-up operation following the seizure of 5.5kg loud variant of cannabis imported into the country from South Africa.
The consignment, which she claimed was sent to her by her daughter was concealed in two giant speakers as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos on board an Air Peace flight.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives also on Saturday November 26 intercepted 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard tins packed among cosmetics and foodstuffs going to Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.
A cargo agent, Salako Omolara Fausat who brought the bag containing the illicit drug to the airport and an intending passenger to Brazil, Anyanwu Christian who was to travel with the consignment were promptly arrested.
Another attempt by a freight agent, Adebisi Aina Hafsat to export 3,000 tablets of tramadol concealed in motor spare parts to Banjul, Gambia through the NAHCO export shed was equally thwarted by operatives who seized the consignment and arrested her on Monday November 28, while a follow-up operation to Ebute-Meta area of Lagos the following day led to the arrest of the actual owner, Afam Chibuke Stanley, who is a spare parts seller. This was followed by the seizure of 100,000 tablets of Royal brand of tramadol 200mg with a gross weight of 68.9 kilograms imported from Karachi, Pakistan on Ethiopian Airlines at the SAHCO import shed.
In Rivers state, NDLEA operatives also arrested a 29-year-old pregnant woman, Kate Ibinabo with 34.4kgs cannabis Sativa in Okrika area of the state on Saturday.
Ibinabo, who was in her third trimester, was, however, granted administrative bail pending when she’s delivered of her baby and thereafter returned for her prosecution.
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