NDLEA Thwarts Drug Smuggling Operation with Seizure of Large Loud Consignment and Multiple Arrests

In a strategic move, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a significant consignment of Loud, a potent synthetic cannabis strain, concealed within giant loudspeakers imported from New York. The operation, conducted at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport, uncovered sixty bags of Loud weighing 33.5 kilograms hidden within seemingly innocuous sound boxes.

The arrests ensued during follow-up operations between February 15th and 16th, 2024, implicating key players in the illicit drug trade. Akeem Afeez, a freight agent, logistics company manager Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega, and the consignment receiver Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo were among those apprehended.

Expanding the crackdown, Abia witnessed a joint operation resulting in the arrest of a female lawyer, Adaobi Nweke, her boyfriend, mother, herbalist, and associates connected to a family legacy of illegal drug activities. Notably, investigations revealed the family’s involvement in various illicit substances, including Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Loud, Cannabis Sativa, with a total weight of 1.670kg, and a monetary exhibit of N578,400.

Further operations unfolded across Nasarawa, Edo, Kogi, Kano, Ogun, Ondo, and the Federal Capital Territory. An Uber driver, Joshua Henry, was intercepted attempting to deliver a 26.2-gram Loud consignment from Abuja to Keffi, Nasarawa state. In Kogi state, Charles Chike, 45, was arrested in a hotel in Lokoja with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg, concealed in the boot of a car traveling from Ekiti state to Abuja.

In Edo state, a consignment of methamphetamine concealed in African salad, known as “Abacha,” was intercepted. Additionally, a Peugeot 406 space wagon car was intercepted along Uromi road, resulting in the recovery of 865 bottles of codeine, 2,600 pills of tramadol, and 600 tabs of swinol and rohypnol.

The NDLEA’s vigilance extended to the Federal Capital Territory, where operations in Kubwa led to the arrest of individuals with 10.5kg cannabis, 13.5 grams of diazepam, and 2.9 grams of tramadol tablets.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the officers for their outstanding feats and emphasized the agency’s commitment to the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign. The operations reflect a balanced approach between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts nationwide.