By Chioma Iruke
A 22-year-old youth corps member, Arnold Maniru has been arrested in Abuja, Nigeria for importing 4 kilograms of drugged candies from the United Kingdom.
This was even as the nation’s anti-narcotics unit, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted in Lagos, cookies laced with drugs going to United Arab Emirates.
According to a statement by the Agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi, the youth corps member serving with a government agency in Abuja, was arrested on Saturday 28th August, 2021 following the interception of a consignment at the warehouse of a transport company. A controlled delivery of the parcel, which contains the candies laced with Arizona, a strong variant of cannabis and some liquid, was subsequently carried out.
In the same vein, operatives attached to courier companies in Lagos have intercepted 1.2kg of cannabis concealed inside locally made cookies going to Dubai, UAE and 920grams of cocaine hidden inside synthetic hair heading to Saudi Arabia. Another 1.08kg cannabis concealed in spray cans going to Pakistan and 625grams of methamphetamine hidden in clothing heading to Australia were also seized.
Across the states, operatives also intensified arrests of traffickers and seizures of illicit drugs. A total of 384.7 kilograms of assorted narcotics being transported to the nation’s capital, Abuja for sale were intercepted and seized at patrol points in Lokoja, Kogi state on Monday 30th August and Thursday 2nd September, 2021.
A truck with registration number Plateau AA 462 QAP, driven by a 50-year-old Danlami Dodo, coming from Onitsha, Anambra, with Abuja, FCT as destination, was intercepted at a patrol point in Lokoja. Upon a search, the following psychoactive substances were discovered packed in sacks and cartons:
1,975 bottles of Cough Syrup with Codeine weighing 282kg; 199 packets of Exol-5 tablets weighing 75.4kg; 250 packets of Diazepam tablets weighing 15.4kg; Cannabis Sativa weighing 5.9kg; and 1 packet of Ketamine injection, all weighing 378.7kilograms.
The statement further noted that one Caleb Okezuonu was arrested with 352 bottles of Codeine Syrup and 876 tablets of Rohypnol during a raid Borno state.
Curiously, Caleb is on court bail, for two earlier charges filed against him by the state command of the NDLEA. The latest arrest makes it his third arrest for drug offences. During the raid, 11.5grams of Tramadol and N307, 255 monetary exhibit were recovered from another suspect who escaped and has been declared wanted.
