Saudi Arabia-bound cocaine hidden in body lotion bottles intercepted in Lagos

Barely a week after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered 20 parcels of cocaine concealed inside religious books going to Saudi Arabia at a logistics company in Lagos, officers of the anti-narcotic agency have again intercepted another shipment of 46 wraps of cocaine weighing 547grams hidden in body cream going to the Middle East country.

A statement signed by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said the seizure was made on Wednesday 23rd April at a courier firm in Lagos.

The agency said another consignment intercepted same day include: 1.8kg pentazocine injection and 60grams bromazepam tablets heading to Canada.

“In another major interdiction in Jigawa state with a follow up operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence on Wednesday 23rd April seized consignments of opioids being moved from Kano to Niger Republic and Yobe state through Jigawa.

“The  psychoactive substances were being moved in a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked ABJ 182 NW at about 2:30am on Wednesday along Kano- Ringim road, Gumel town when anti-narcotic officers on patrol intercepted them with two suspects: Abba Ibrahim, 28, and Shuaibu Umar, 29 arrested.

Recovered from the Sienna vehicle were 200,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and 217,500 capsules of pregabalin. A swift follow up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the supplier, 41-year-old Jamilu Muhammad, at his residence located at Mil Tara, Layin Technical area of Kano while additional 1,584,000 pills of tramadol 250mg stacked inside a Nissan 18-seater bus marked DAL 372 XA  and a room in his house were discovered and evacuated. This brings the total number of the recovered opioids to 2,001,500 pills,” the statement said.