Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a major drug trafficking operation at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, intercepting thousands of pills of Rohypnol and opioids destined for South Africa and Italy.
The airport seizures were part of a series of nationwide raids in early October that led to multiple arrests and the recovery of over a ton of illicit substances.
In a significant blow to international drug syndicates, officers at the MMIA export shed seized 27,510 pills of Rohypnol cleverly concealed in sachets of alcoholic beverages. The consignment was bound for South Africa. Following the initial arrest of a freight agent and a cab driver connected to the shipment, a follow-up operation on October 2nd led NDLEA officials to Oyingbo market in Lagos, where they arrested the alleged mastermind, 46-year-old Samuel Omoruyi, also known as “Yellow.”
On the same day at the airport, operatives apprehended an Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Augustine Uyimwen, as he attempted to export 3,700 pills of Tramadol (225mg) and 2,600 tabs of Tapentadol (200mg) hidden within food items. Uyimwen reportedly confessed to trafficking the opioids for another individual in exchange for a fee of €945.
The anti-narcotics agency also recorded major seizures across several states.
In Osun State, a coordinated operation on Wednesday, October 8th, at Omifufun village in Ife South LGA resulted in two significant arrests. Nureni Ayobami Eleweodo, 48, and Oladejo Taiwo, 52, were apprehended with 635 kilograms of skunk, a potent cannabis strain, found in their Toyota Hiace bus. At the same location, Timothy Omiwole, 41, and Isaac Achiatan, 36, were arrested with an additional 100 kg of skunk and their motorcycle.
Further operations targeting cannabis trafficking yielded results in other states, A raid on the residence of Emmanuel Sunday, 33, in Ugbekpe Ekperi led to the recovery of 47 kg of skunk, Operatives recovered 312 kg of skunk from a bush at Ologede camp, Ogbese. On Thursday, October 9th, a separate patrol along the Benin-Lagos expressway intercepted a car carrying 141.8 kg of the substance, leading to the arrest of Francis John, 39, and Adeyemi Taiwo, 46, On Friday, October 10th, Okoro Julius, 20, and Onyebuchi Nwibo, 25, were arrested in Port Harcourt in connection with an 8.5 kg skunk seizure and Sulaiman Kalalu, 46, was taken into custody on Saturday, October 11th, after 29.5 kg of skunk was discovered in his house in Jibia town.
The crackdown also extended to pharmaceutical opioids. In Niger State, officers arrested 29-year-old Yisa Daniel on October 8th in New Bussa with a haul of 22,000 Tramadol capsules, 800 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 150,000 Exol-5 pills.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna, a suspect named Rufai Ahmed, 27, was intercepted at the Abuja/Kaduna toll gate while transporting 150,000 pills of Exol-5 from Lagos to Katsina.
All suspects are currently in custody pending further investigation and prosecution.
