Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have intercepted the sum of fake $4.7 million at Abaji, Abuja.
The Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Mr Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the fake Dollars were seized from a syndicate which tried to steal N2.7 billion from the Nigerian economy by pushing the fake dollars into circulation.
He said that operatives of the NDLEA acted on intelligence on the movement of the fake money to nab the principal suspect, one 52-year-old Abdulmumini Maikasuwa.
Babafemi said that the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has directed immediate transfer of the fake Dollars and the suspect to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation.
“The operatives had in the early hours of Friday 18th February 2022 intercepted a consignment sent from Lagos to Abuja at Abaji area of the Federal Capital Territory. A controlled delivery of the parcelled counterfeit US dollars totalling $4, 760, 000.00 led to the arrest of a principal suspect, 52-year-old Abdulmumini Maikasuwa.
“The seizure followed intelligence received by the FCT Command of the Agency detailing the movement of the cash and the vehicle conveying it.
“Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that both the cash and the suspect in custody be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation.”
Babafemi stated also that the operatives of the Agency rearrested a nursing mother, Mrs. Rashidat Adebayo, 38, who was released on administrative bail three weeks ago.
He said that the drug dealer was again caught at Offa, Kwarra State, assorted prohibited drugs such as Tramadol, Swinol, Diazepam and Pentazocine injection ampules.
According to him, before her latest arrest on Thursday 17th February, the nursing mother had been arrested and granted bail on 24th January 2022 for dealing in similar drugs.
Babafemi added that the NDLEA also arrested two drug dealers: Sani Isa (aka Bilaz) and Bala Yerima in Hong, Adamawa State with 239 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 209kg.
He stated further that the Bauchi Command of NDLEA intercepted a truck marked FFF 422 XB which took off from Lagos to Maiduguri, at Azare, with a total of 164.8kg of cannabis sativa concealed in peak milk cartons was recovered from the truck.
He quoted the Chief Executive of the Agency, Gen Marwa ( retd) has having commended the officers and men of the FCT Command for their vigilance and preventing the counterfeit $4.7 million from going into the streets.
Marwa charged them to sustain the tempo of the onslaught against the trade in illicit drugs in the country.