Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a duvet, packaged for export to the United Kingdom at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
A statement on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said six parcels of the psychoactive substance with a gross weight of 3.50 kilograms were concealed inside the duvet.
“In his statement, Austin Balogun, who is the main agent who hired Sunday Adakole, claimed he was paid N700,000 to cargo the consignment to the UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk to pay for an apartment,” Babafemi added.
In another operation, Babafemi said two suspects, identified as Joseph Adewale and Biodun Adelakun, were arrested at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu area of Lagos, when the NDLEA operatives raided their hideout.
Babafemi stated that seven litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
“Other exhibits seized from the duo include: three locally made double-barrelled rifles; one locally made double-barrelled pistol; one English-made pistol; one locally made single-barrelled rifle; three cartridges and one empty 9mm cartridge as well as an iron-head axe.
“Another raid in Lagos on Sunday, January 19, led to the seizure of 47kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46kg Nitrous Oxide popularly known as laughing gas at the notorious Akala area of Mushin,” Babafemi added.
In Ekiti State, Babafemi said a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was arrested by the NDLEA officers on Thursday, January 23, with 1.950kg Canadian Loud at Iworoko Road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives on Monday, January 20, at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. A total of 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56kg were recovered from him.
“A Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, with two others: Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, were arrested by the NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, while 13.1kg skunk and 125 litres of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance were recovered from them. In Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu council area of Kano State, a cannabis plantation was located and destroyed by a team of the NDLEA officers who arrested a suspect, Sabo Ali Muhammad, 45, linked to the farm,” the statement added.
(PUNCH)