On Sunday, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported that its operatives intercepted a substantial shipment of Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis. The contraband was concealed within large loudspeakers in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States of America.

According to NDLEA, when opened, the sound boxes were stuffed with 60 bags of the expensive but highly sought-after psychoactive substance weighing 33.5 kilograms.

A statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, said at least three suspects: a freight agent Akeem Afeez; logistics company manager Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega and the receiver of the consignment Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo have been arrested in follow-up operations.

Babafemi disclosed that while Afeez was arrested at the airport, Gboyega was nabbed at his office on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Taiwo was traced to his residence at 13 Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase1, Lagos, where he was picked on Friday.

Speaking further on the interception and seizures made by the anti-narcotic agency, Babafemi said a joint raid operation between the NDLEA and men of the State Homeland Security at 23 Arochukwu street, Umuahia in Abia, Wednesday led to the arrest of a female lawyer, Adaobi Nweke, 36; her boyfriend, Emeka Nkemefola, 36; her mother, Mrs. Ngozi Nweke, 65; Dike Okpara, 43 (a herbalist to the family); Chukwudi Abel, 33,( member of the family); Amarachi Paul, 18, (another member of the family), and their 22-year-old salesgirl, Blessing Jonathan.

He claimed that investigations revealed that members of the family had long been involved in the illicit drug business, allegedly passed on to them by their now late father, Jonathan Nweke.

Babafemi disclosed various quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, loud, Cannabis sativa and precursor chemicals with a total weight of 1.670kg as well as N578,400 monetary exhibits were recovered from them as at the time of their arrest.

Meanwhile, NDLEA said it has thwarted an attempt by a 25-year-old Uber driver, Joshua Henry, to deliver a consignment of 26.2grams of Loud picked in Abuja to a customer in Keffi, Nasarawa State on Monday 12th February.

This is even as it was announced that a 54-year-old Dada Adedara was on Wednesday 14th Feb arrested at Dan Bare area of Kano State with 468 blocks of cannabis weighing 246.4kg.

Babafemi stated that Adedara’s arrest came the same day the NDLEA operatives in Ogun arrested the duo of Kafayat Junaid and Sakirat Osoanu with 13kg cannabis sativa.

Speaking on further feats made by the agency, Babafemi said: “In Kogi State, a suspect, Charles Chike, 45, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in a hotel in Lokoja on Friday 16th Feb. with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg. The exhibit was concealed in the boot of a blue Honda Accord car marked Abuja ABC 853 SL, which took off from Ekiti state enroute Abuja. Not less than 227kg of the same substance was recovered from Atoshi camp, Emure -Ile, Owo LGA, Ondo State, while two suspects: John Jonathan and Emmanuel Alex were arrested.

“Operatives in Edo state acting on intelligence on Wednesday 14th Feb. intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Lagos, in a Toyota Sienna bus marked Anambra NZM 347 ZL. The meth consignment weighing 0.966kg was concealed inside a cassava made local food item, African salad popularly called “Abacha”. The driver of the vehicle, Afamefuna Ibeawuchi Kingsley, 42, was arrested in connection with the seizure. On the same day, a team of NDLEA officers also intercepted a Peugeot 406 space wagon car driven by Akhere Fardam, 47, along Uromi road in Esan North East LGA. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 865 bottles of codeine; 2,600 pills of tramadol and 600 tabs of swinol and rohypnol.

“In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives conducted raid operations in Kubwa area of the FCT during which they arrested Tawa Wasiu, 47, and Iliya Ibrahim, 18, with 10.5kg cannabis, 13.5 grams of diazepam and 2.9 grams of tramadol tablets. Another suspect, Yaro Bala, 27, was arrested on Thursday 15th Feb. with 50.5kg cannabis during a stop and search operation along Abaji/Abuja highway on his way from Auchi Edo state to Paiko, Niger State.”

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Abia, Nasarawa, Edo, Kogi, Kano, Ogun, Ondo and FCT Commands of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week.

Marwa equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.