The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted drug consignments worth more than ₦5 billion at the Lagos and Onne ports and arrested a businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilograms of cocaine to Italy.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The suspect, 38-year-old Philip Tunde, was arrested on September 27 at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as he prepared to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan. Operatives recovered 16 parcels of cocaine hidden in eight pairs of shoes and 195 wraps concealed in four travel bags. The agency said Tunde claimed he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine in the shoes, and that the consignment in the bags was meant for a business partner in Italy.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that, at the ports, officers recovered Canadian Loud valued at over ₦3.8 billion at Tincan Island and Thai Loud worth ₦372 million at Apapa. At Onne Port in Rivers State, they recovered 22 kilograms of Loud and 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
The agency also arrested Idris Mohammed Kurra, 47, who allegedly jumped bail six years ago while facing trial at the Federal High Court in Jos over 198 kilograms of cannabis.
The NDLEA said the port seizures followed intelligence gathering and surveillance of the shipments from their ports of origin.
The suspects have not been tried, and the allegations against them remain unproven in court.
CDA News Nigeria will update this story as more information emerges.
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