The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Sunday, said it arrested and detained a businessman, his wife and two daughters over alleged drug peddling.
In a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media And Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in Abuja, stated that their family friend was also taken into custody.
Babafemi said that this came after investigation revealed that the family ran a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos involving the family friend.
“The couple was first arrested on Friday, June 13 by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ojo area of the state and transferred to NDLEA along with 277.5kg skunk.
“While they were still being investigated in custody, credible intelligence revealed that the family business was going on in his house.
“This led to a raid of their home and a packing store where 231kg of the same substance was recovered on Tuesday, July 1.”
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos on Wednesday, July 2 intercepted a frequent flyer for drug trafficking.
Babafemi said that the suspect specialised in conveying goods for customers from Nigeria to Italy and vice versa.
“He was found to have hidden 7,660 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg inside food items packed among other goods he was conveying to Italy.
“He claimed that he was to be paid the sum of 800 euros upon successful delivery of the drug consignment in Italy,”he said.
Also, NDLEA destroyed 24,175 kilograms of skunk on 9.67 hectares of cannabis farmland at Ikaka, Oke-Ila forest, Osun State.
Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives had raided the area where seven suspects were arrested on July 3.
In another development in Borno State, 167kg of skunk was recovered at Gamboru-Ngala, while a total of 452kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized at Gadar Tamburawa in Kano.
Babafemi said that two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure on July 3.
He said NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna expressway recovered 11,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from a suspect, while their counterparts in Sokoto arrested 62-year-old in connection with the seizure of 4,800 pills of tramadol 225mg.
In Kebbi state, operatives raided Bakin Kasuwa Yauri base where they seized 312 kg skunk and 10,000 tabs of diazepam, while two suspects were also arrested with 49,930 capsules of tramadol in Taraba state.
“In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the Ewere forest in Owan West LGA where they arrested a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, 49, in one of his cannabis farms with 115 kg of processed skunk.”
He said three other suspects were nabbed in another farm measuring 2.050201 hectares.
According to him, a 78-year-old suspect was arrested with 14.49kg skunk and tramadol during a raid by NDLEA operatives at Ofudua, Obubra LGA, Cross River, while three other suspects were nabbed at Ovonum, Obubra LGA.
Also, NDLEA intercepted a total of 52 pieces of travellers cheques concealed in children books worth $17.7 million.
The cheques, according to Babafemi, were enroute to Malaysia through Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.
Babafemi, however, said that the cheques were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the airport on July 4.
He said that the interdiction operation which occurred at Lagos airport had a freight agent arrested in connection to the intercepted travelers cheques.
“The travellers cheques suspected to be counterfeit and the suspect will soon be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation,” he said.
He said NDLEA officers at Seme border on July 5 recovered 718 big balls of skunk weighing 359 kg from a store in Baba – Pupa area of the border community.
Operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted 10,000 pills of tramadol 225mg and co-codamol as well as 1.050kg Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
This, he said, led to the arrest of owners of the way bill drug consignments at Jabi park in Abuja during a follow up operations.
Babafemi said in another development in Osun State, two suspects were arrested at Ajegunle area of Osogbo on July 3 with 13,901 pills and ampoules of different opioids recovered from them.
He said that another suspect was nabbed at a patent medicine shop at Arubidi street, Ile-Ife, with 48,205 pills of opioids.
“A raid of a vulcaniser workshop at Akindeko junction, Alekuwodo area of Osogbo on Tuesday, July 1 led to the arrest of three suspects.
“They were arrested with 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 850 pills of tramadol and three bottles of codeine-based syrup.”
The spokesman said that the War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
“Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Queen of Angel Secondary School, Mgbidi, Awgu, Enugu state, Divine Purpose College, Eyita, Ikorodu, Lagos.
“Others are Al-Furqan College, Kankia, Katsina and residents of Gomari Binta Suga community, Maiduguri, Borno state, among others.”
EFCC operatives also intercepted cocaine consignments concealed in lipsticks and property title documents going to the UK and Saudi Arabia respectively.
Babafemi said that the illicit drug consignments were recovered from cargos being prepared for shipment at a courier company in Lagos on July 3.
He said that NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) attached to the logistics firm intercepted the consignments.
“A total of 420 grams of cocaine factory fitted in 84 pieces of female lipsticks heading to the UK were seized.
“280 grammes of the same Class A drug were also uncovered in a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy being sent to Saudi Arabia,” he said.
According to him, a notorious drug kingpin popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’ was on Saturday arrested in Ikeja.
Babafemi said that the arrest came after NDLEA operatives dismantled his drug trafficking network in a three-day operation leading to the arrest of three other suspects.
He said that items recovered from the operation include 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms.
He explained that the bust of the drug ring followed credible intelligence on an attempt to move the shipment to the Lekki area of Lagos.
“This is from where it will be distributed to other parts of the state and across the country,” he said.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa who commended the officers and men of DOGI, Lagos, for the arrests and seizures.
“Marwa praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts”.
