Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have recovered drug consignments worth N4.4bn hidden in two lavatories of an aircraft owned by Ethiopian Airlines.
The drugs, according to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, were discovered during the post-landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on October 29, 2024.
Babafemi added that the drugs were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft.
He added that at least 30 suspects were being quizzed over the uncovered drugs.
Babafemi said, “The bid by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms has been thwarted and the consignments recovered by operatives of the NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
“The drug consignments worth N4,492,800,000 in street value were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post-landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.
“The illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects. No fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.“
He added that “investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders.”
Babafemi also said the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Australia-bound drugs concealed in body cream containers, and artworks were equally recovered by operatives of the agency.
He said, “In the same vein, attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of artwork to Australia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, on Monday, October 28.”
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, Babafemi said the NDLEA on October 29 intercepted 754 000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth N525,000,000 in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with men of Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Babafemi said a suspect identified as Mujahid Hamisu was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada Abuja Expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
The statement added, “Another suspect, Seun Abimbola, 47, was nabbed by the NDLEA operatives the same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid operation at the Giri junction area of the FCT.
“In Kogi State, the NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba-Obajana Highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja while a search of her luggage led to the recovery of fake naira notes worth N4,353,200, even as another suspect, Shaibu Dahiru, 27, was nabbed in a vehicle coming from Lagos to Katsina along Lokoja- Okene-Abuja road on Thursday, October 30, with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 27.400kg.
“A notorious drug dealer, Usman Abba (alias Timaya), who had been on the watchlist of the Katsina State Command of the NDLEA, was on Wednesday, October 30, arrested at the Liberty Hotel, Kofar Kaura, with consignments of Arizona, a strain of cannabis. The same day, the NDLEA operatives in Adamawa arrested a suspect Augustine Dike, 31, with 50.3 grams of methamphetamine at Quarisa Hotel, Jimeta.”
Babafemi noted that operations conducted between October 2 and November 1 in Taraba, Edo and states, led to the arrests of three suspects and recovery of drugs.
He said, “In Taraba, operatives on Friday, November 1, arrested Danlami Fakwa, 46, at Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA, with 49.795kg cannabis, while a total of 561kg of the same substance was recovered from a Sienna bus at Ogbese village in Ondo State on Monday, October 28.
“A suspect Kabiru Yusuf, 25, was on Saturday, October 2, arrested in possession of 51,813 pills of tramadol and exol 5 at NDA Bus Stop, Kaduna, just as raids in Edo State led to the seizure of 603.6kg cannabis at Farm road, Ekiadolor and 308.4kg of same substance at Uroe community.”
