OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos State have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in tins of Nestle Cerelac baby food and cloths bound for the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) by courier firm in Lagos.
Not less than 36 parcels of a strong strain of cannabis concealed in six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food, with six containers in each package, were recovered at the SAHCOL export shed of Lagos airport on Wednesday, July 31. The psychotropic substance has a total weight of 18.50 kilogrammes.
According to a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, a freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, who presented the consignment for export to the UK, was promptly arrested, while a follow up operation to Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday, August 3, led to the arrest of the sender of the cargo, Bello Motunrayo Folu at her 20, Mofoluwasho Estate, Elewuro, Akobo area of the city.
“The Cerelac tins were all factory-sealed at the top, while they tampered with the bottom through which they put the substances, covered with loose quantities of the infant cereal meal to prevent discovery, an effort that ended in futility, as vigilant NDLEA officers were able to foil the attempt.
He stated: “In the same vein, five different shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, such as promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol and morphine, concealed in cloths and other items meant for export to the US and UK, were equally interrupted by NDLEA operatives in Lagos.
“While one of the shipments containing 820grammes of promethazine and pentazocine injections was going to the US, the remaining four parcels consisting of over two kilogrammes of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly and NPS were heading to the UK.
“They were all intercepted on Monday, July 29, at a logistics company in Lagos.”
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan Port in Lagos on Friday, August 2, recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, from the body compartments of four vehicles- Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Sienna- imported from Canada, during a joint examination of some containers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other stakeholders.
Babafemi said the seized consignments weighed 38.5 kilogrammes, while two suspects- Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments, were taken into custody.
