The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has foiled attempts by traffickers to export 200 kilogrammes of hard drugs through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, via his Twitter handle, explained that at the airport, 41-year-old Adewuyi Olayinka was arrested while trying to export 650 grammes of cocaine in two parcels to the United Kingdom.
He said the drug was concealed in dry leaves and herbs.
In the same vein, 107kg of hard drug, suspected to be Khat, was seized at the cargo shed of the Kano airport en route to Canada.
According to the Ag. Commander, MAKIA Command of the NDLEA, Mohammed Ajiya, the drug, which weighed 107kgs was concealed in golden colour nylon bags covered with textile materials and labelled tea.
“The so-called tea aroused the suspicion of officers at the cargo shed, who insisted that it must be subjected to laboratory analysis before it would be allowed to go, because the so-called tea came from Lagos by road to Kano, and our operatives wondered why the owner did not ship it via MMA, Lagos.
“Hence, the reason the shipment was delayed until sample was taken and sent to our forensic lab for analysis. The result came out positive for Khat, it has since been seized and is now in our custody,” he stated.
Equally, an attempt by a trafficker to export 92.250kg Khat via Turkish Air, through the cargo warehouse, NAIA, Abuja, has also been frustrated and the hard drug, packed in six cartoons heading to Goussainville in France, confiscated.
NDLEA Commander at the airport, Kabir Tsakuwa, said the clearing agent processing the consignment for export claimed the cargo was dried moringa leaves as stated in the way bill, but upon laboratory tests, it turned out to be hard drug.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the lead anti-drug agency, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Marwa (rtd.), has commended the commanders, men and officers in the three international airports for their efforts to secure Nigerians and citizens of destination countries from the menace of illicit drugs.
