Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 34-year-old South African woman Qhina Beauty with 36.65 kilograms of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother Anetor Gloria Ubong with 9.45kg of high-grade cannabis loud imported from the United States.
Director Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja Femi Babafemi announced this yesterday.
In a statement Babafemi said the agency’s officers also recovered tons of illicit drugs in Kano Lagos Bauchi Niger Edo Ondo Taraba Oyo and Delta states.
He said Qhina was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7 while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
Babafemi said a search of her two bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg laced with dried pepper wrapped in cellotape and packed into seven parcels.
During her interview she told operatives she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to pick up the consignment.
Babafemi said: ‘She said she was recruited by another South African lady who promised her R20000 on delivery. She claimed she was introduced to two other members of the syndicate: one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
‘Investigations later led to the arrest on October 14 of the 46-year-old car dealer Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe who was intercepted at Apple Junction Ago Palace Way Lagos after days of surveillance at his Shasha residence. He admitted receiving Qhina at the airport lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.’
Babafemi said in another interdiction at the Lagos airport NDLEA officers on October 21 arrested Ubong a realtor based in Richmond Texas who holds Nigerian and U.S. passports.
‘She was arrested following her arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston. A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud synthetic cannabis weighing 9.45kg concealed with gift wrapping paper in a box. She claimed the box was delivered to her home in the U.S. by her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé Jibola.
‘Meanwhile operatives of a special operations unit in NDLEA on October 23 arrested Eletu Rasheedat 41 at Eti Osa in area of Lagos where they recovered 5820 pills of diazepam 780 tablets of tramadol 3.7kg skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
‘In Delta a suspect Peter Ugochukwu 51 was arrested in Warri with a huge cache of pharmaceutical opioids including 29350 capsules of tramadol; 6620 tablets of tramadol 200mg; 4116 bottles of codeine syrup; 11340 tablets of Rohypnol; 3500 tablets of diazepam; 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection 200 ampoules of diazepam injection and quantities of tramadol 225mg Molly and Cocodamol.
‘He was transferred along with a white Hummer bus from the Nigeria Police Force Delta State. In a separate arrest at Enerhen Junction Warri a 46-year-old physically challenged woman Helen Bakporo Samson was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday 19th October with 6.0kg of skunk.
‘A 41-year-old suspect Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi was arrested on Monday October 19 in Adamasingba Ibadan following his initial escape from arrest when NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his house on 16th September.’
Babafemi said while a raid in Gerawa Kano last Thursday led to the arrest of Murtala Lawan 30 and seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97.2kg NDLEA officers at the Lankaviri checkpoint Yorro Local Government Area Taraba on Friday October 23 arrested Raiyanu Misa 39 with 95 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 60.175kg.
He said on the same day the Nigeria Police Force handed over a suspect arrested at Dakka village Bali Local Government Area with 112 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 81.49kg.
He said in Niger State Emmanuel Ekene 26 was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday October 19on the Sabo-Kainji road Borgu Local Government Area with 64000 pills of opioids including tramadol and diazepam while officers arrested Jamilu Mustapha (aka Last Card) 45 on Wednesday October 21at Nasaru Town Ningi Local Government Area Bauchi state where they seized 379kg of cannabis sativa packed in seven jumbo sacks.
‘Acting on intelligence NDLEA officers on Tuesday October 20 raided a farm at Board-Ala Akure South Ondo State and recovered 56 bags of abandoned cannabis sativa weighing 583kg. Two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest Uzebba Owan West Local Government Area Edo State with an estimated yield of 2023.14kg were destroyed on Sunday 18th October by NDLEA operatives who also burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took 97kg as exhibit.
‘In a related operation at Ewe community Owan West Mary Edokhai 42 was arrested with 35kg of the same psychoactive substance’ he said.
”Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) thanked the officers for their efforts. He urged them to sustain the tempo of the war against drug trafficking and substance abuse’ Babafemi said.