……discovers methamphetamine in timned tomatoes
….Records 400% increase in seized drugs
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos says it arrested 93 traffickers, 77 males and 16 females in 2018
The drugs traffickers were apprehended during screening of inward and outbound passengers with different banned drugs which include, Methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, ephedrine, cannabis sativa, syrup with codeine among others.
The NDLEA Airport commander, Alhaji Garba Ahmadu while briefing newsmen of the activities of the agency in 2018 said a total of 5,377.125 kilograms was seized from the 93 traffickers arrested within the age bracket of 20 to 70 years. adding that 25 of them have been convicted.
“The total weight of drug seized was 5,377.125 kilograms with tramadol topping the list with 5002.9, followed by ephedrine put at 196.860, methamphetamine 58.1 kilograms”.
Others are cocaine 24.480, heroin 41.260, cannabis sativa 21.105, cough syrup with codeine 10.980, phenacetin 14.180 and rohypnol 1.000″.
He added, “their mode of concealment include, ingestion, swallowing, anal, and packing”.
Ahmadu stressed that the traffickers employ different means to conceal their illicit drugs, adding that it required intelligence, physical profilling and experience to detect concealed these drugs.
The Lagos Airport NDLEA commander noted that the seizure in 2018 increased by 400% compared to 2017.
On Wednesday 6th February, 2019, the agency also successfully apprehended a Dubai bound passenger with 27 pieces of clothing soaked in methamphetamine with a gross weight of 16.94 kilograms.
The NDLEA commander disclosed the clothings to include, “T-shirts, towel and trousers were dried, ironed and neatly arranged in a luggage to beat security”.
He pointed out that International carriers have been very cooperative with the agency in thwarting the efforts of these traffickers from taking the drugs out of the country.
“All the foreign airlines have been working with us with their help we have been able to arrest so traffickers”.
Same day, another suspect heading to Indonesia was arrested for concealing 1.58 kilograms of methamphetamine inside 6 tomatoes paste cans.
The suspect said he was not aware that the bag of foodstuffs given him by a friend contained hard drugs.
The agency said in the year under review, 80 Nigerian deportees were documented for drug related note offences were documented as against 139 deported in 2017 showing a decrease of 42.45%.
