TheCable

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted a large consignment of ‘loud’, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in giant loudspeakers at the Lagos airport.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the illicit drugs were tucked in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States.

Babafemi said NDLEA officers seized giant wooden boxes dressed as sound speakers at the import shed of the Lagos airport and they were found to be stuffed with 60 bags of the cannabis.

“At least, three suspects: a freight agent Akeem Afeez; logistics company manager Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega; and the receiver of the consignment Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo; have been arrested in follow-up operations between Thursday 15th and Friday 16th February 2024,” the statement reads.

“While Afeez was arrested at the airport, Gboyega was nabbed at his office on Allen Avenue Ikeja and Taiwo traced to his residence at 13 Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase l, Lagos, where he was picked on Friday.”

The spokesperson said in Abia, a joint operation between the NDLEA and the state homeland security in Umuahia on February 14 led to the arrest of Adaobi Nweke, a lawyer; Emeka Nkemefola, her boyfriend; Ngozi Nweke, her mother; Dike Okpara, the family’s herbalist.

The agency also arrested Chukwudi Abel, a member of the family; Amarachi Paul, another member of the family; and Blessing Jonathan, their 22-year-old sales girl.

“Investigations reveal that members of the family had long been in the illicit drug business passed on to them by their now late father, Jonathan Nweke,” the statement reads.

“Recovered from them as at the time of their arrest include various quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Loud, Cannabis Sativa, and precursor chemicals with a total weight of 1.670kg as well as N578,400 monetary exhibit.

“Attempt by a 25-year-old Uber driver, Joshua Henry, to deliver a consignment of 26.2grams of Loud picked in Abuja to a customer in Keffi, Nasarawa state on Monday 12th February was thwarted by NDLEA operatives who intercepted him.

“Commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Abia, Nasarawa, Edo, Kogi, Kano, Ogun, Ondo, and FCT Commands of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”