…recovers tramadol pills concealed in gas cylinder, cocaine, skunk
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 42-year-old Indian woman, Ms Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin factory-sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.
The class A drug consignment, weighing a total of 11 kilograms, was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search, following processed credible intelligence. The seizure occurred during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha, at the arrival hall of the Kano airport on 14th March 2025, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.
The arrest of Neetu highlights a growing attempt by drug trafficking organisations to recruit white women and foreign nationals to smuggle illicit drugs through Nigerian borders—an effort that vigilant NDLEA operatives continue to foil with modern technology and proactive intelligence, said the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), in his immediate reaction to the arrest.
In another interdiction operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Thursday arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria-Kano road. Acting on credible intelligence, officers used welding tools to cut open the cylinder, where 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were concealed and subsequently extracted.
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Similarly, on 19th March, Sunday Ogar was apprehended at Gunduwawa area of Kano with 27kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. A female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, was also arrested on 18th March with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Lungun Bulala Yalwa area of the state.
In Lagos, the duo of Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa were arrested in Mushin with 67.5kg of skunk, while an additional 100.8kg of the same psychoactive substance was recovered from the store of two fleeing suspects in the Anifowoshe area of Mushin. Another suspect, Isah Idris, was apprehended in Apapa on 18th March with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup.
On the same day, Yahaya Mohamed was arrested in the Ikotun area of Lagos with varying quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Across the country, NDLEA commands and formations continued to intensify their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy sensitisation campaigns in schools, markets, motor parks, workplaces, and worship centres throughout the past week.
Commending the officers and men of MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano Commands for the successful arrests and seizures, Marwa expressed satisfaction with the agency’s balanced efforts in drug supply reduction and demand reduction initiatives. He also urged operatives not to relent in their mission.
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