The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported that its operatives intercepted several shipments of illicit drugs hidden in tins of Cerelac baby food and clothing destined for the United States and the United Kingdom.

These seizures occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier firm in Lagos.

According to NDLEA, no fewer than 36 parcels of a potent strain of cannabis, hidden in six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food with six containers in each package, were recovered at the SAHCOL export shed at Lagos airport on Wednesday. The psychotropic substance has a total weight of 18.50 kilograms.

This information was disclosed on Sunday in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy.

Babafemi stated that a freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, who presented the consignment for export to the UK, was promptly arrested. A follow-up operation in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday led to the arrest of the sender of the cargo, Bello Motunrayo Folu.

He explained that the Cerelac tins were factory-sealed at the top while the bottoms were tampered with to conceal the drugs, which were covered with loose quantities of infant cereal to avoid detection.

Additionally, NDLEA operatives intercepted five different shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, including promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine, concealed in clothes and other items meant for export to the US and UK. These were also intercepted in Lagos.

Babafemi noted that one of the shipments containing 820 grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was bound for the United States, while the remaining four parcels, totaling over two kilograms of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly, and NPS, were heading to the United Kingdom. These shipments were intercepted on Monday, July 29, at a logistics company in Lagos.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, from the body compartments of four vehicles—Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Sienna—imported from Canada during a joint examination with Customs Service and other stakeholders. The seized consignments weighed a total of 38.5 kilograms. Two suspects, Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments, have been taken into custody.

Furthermore, Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos, on Thursday, August 1, with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup (weighing 174 liters) and 1,070 tablets of molly (weighing 600 grams). Additionally, no fewer than 50 bags of cannabis, with a gross weight of 520 kilograms, were recovered in Isuada, Owo Council Area of Ondo State, and five suspects were arrested in Itaogbolu Forest, Akure North LG Area of the state.

The suspects in connection with the seizure of 42 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance include Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34.

In Edo State, twenty-two and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220 kilograms were recovered from Egbeta Community, Ovia North East Area on Tuesday, July 30, and a suspect, Osayede Aghoma, was arrested. Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was nabbed on Wednesday, July 31, with 40 blocks of the same substance weighing 19.2 kilograms along the Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Kano.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan Commands, as well as those of DOGI, for their efforts in the arrests and seizures.

Marwa praised their work in reducing drug supply while balancing WADA sensitization activities and urged them and their colleagues across the country to maintain their zeal and momentum.