News Investigators/ National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment for illicit drugs.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Mr Babafemi said that the fuel tanker marked MKA 960 XC, and notorious for evading arrest in the past, was chased down by NDLEA officers.
This, he said, was along the Akoko/Lokoja expressway in Ondo state on Friday after the driver refused to stop.
“The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko, and fled into the bush.
“A search of the tanker revealed a false compartment concealing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg alongside its legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau state,” he said.
In another development, Babafemi said that operatives at the Lagos Airport recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg worth over N1.1 billion concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan.
He said that 57.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth over N173 million in street value were recovered by operatives of the agency.
Babafemi said that the consignment was hidden inside cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore.
He said that the drugs had laid unclaimed for weeks before a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies was conducted on Thursday.
“Barely a month after three suspects were arrested at Tincan Port in Lagos over the seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies, another 598.08kg (890 packets) of similarly infused cookies and gummies were intercepted on Wednesday Sept. 2, ” he said.
Babafemi said the illicit consignment, concealed in a 40-foot container, was intercepted at the port and linked to the suspects already in custody.
Babafemi said the commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities in the past week.
“These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to nursing mothers and nurses at Ibereko Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta North, Ogun state; youths of Umouji/Okwo community at Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, Abia.
“Also included were NLNG staff and concessionaires at Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal, Bonny LGA, Rivers state, among others.”
NAN