NDLEA seizes drugs smuggled from Europe, intercepts ammunition in Kaduna
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered consignments of hard drugs concealed in water purifier machines imported from the Netherlands, while also intercepting a cache of military-grade ammunition in Kaduna State as part of ongoing nationwide enforcement operations.
The agency said the illicit drug consignments, comprising three kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, were discovered at a courier company in Lagos on May 26. According to the NDLEA, the drugs had been carefully hidden inside water purifier machines shipped from Europe in an attempt to evade detection.
In Kaduna State, operatives arrested a couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside another suspect, Salomi Ezekiel, 38, after raiding a residence in the Gonin Gora area. During the operation, officers recovered 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing a total of 1,246 kilograms.
The agency also recorded another major seizure in the state when officers on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway near Jere nabbed a 30-year-old suspect, Sunusi Musa, allegedly transporting 380 rounds of military-grade 7.62mm ammunition to Katsina State.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect and the ammunition had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation and necessary action.
In Niger State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse in Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area, where they recovered 457 kilograms of skunk. The operation, carried out on May 27, also led to the arrest of a suspect, Godwin Zakka, 46, at his residence in the Gbeganu area of Minna.
Similarly, in Enugu State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway intercepted a commercial vehicle travelling to Taraba State. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 22,000 pills of tramadol, 100 ampoules of pentazocine, and 200 grams of bromazepam, while a suspect, James Maigari Wisdom, was taken into custody.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations across the country sustained the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, places of worship, workplaces, and communities. In his reaction, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the recent arrests and seizures and urged personnel nationwide to remain committed to both drug supply reduction and public awareness efforts.
