News Investigators/ The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted N3.3billion worth of shipments of meth and “loud”, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy in the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.
Mr Babafemi said that the drugs which were concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada was seized at the Tincan seaport in Lagos.
The seizure, he said, followed months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents by the NDLEA operatives.
Mr Babafemi said that for the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, the two consignments of methamphetamine were weighing 83.301 kilograms.
He said that they were recovered on Thursday and Friday, from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts.
The NDLEA image maker added that the drugs which were came in from Canada, was headed to a warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
“One of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday.
“Not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine were hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered while a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
“The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday, was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg.
“Another plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg was also recovered.
“Two businessmen have been arrested in connection to the seizure.
“The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg and 867.5kg worth N2.1bn and N124.9m in street value,” he said.
Mr Babafemi said that the seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and other port stakeholders.
He added that the success recorded was made possible by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
“The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on October 4, when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada.
“It was monitored through Oct. 8, when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day Oct. 9.
“The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on October 19 through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on Oct. 30.
“The consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on Nov. 14, before arriving Lagos port on Dec. 1 and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
“The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg meth followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on Oct. 8 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada.
“It was loaded on the rail on Oct. 14 and arrived Montreal the following day, Oct. 15, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on Oct. 20
“After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on Nov. 6 and Nov. 17 respectively, the consignments were tracked down until they arrived and were discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on Dec. 6 before being moved to the terminal on Dec. 10,” he said.
NAN