‘N1.1bn drugs intercepted at MMA in four months’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted hard drugs weighing 115.89 kilograms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport between January and April 2012.

The drugs, the agency said, had an estimated street value of N1.1bn.

The agency warned that drug barons, if left unchecked, could use their “enormous resources” and international links to unseat government.

A data SUNDAY PUNCH obtained from the Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, showed that 39 persons were arrested for trafficking of hard drugs at the Nigeria’s busiest airport within the period. They included 37 males and two females.

Giving a breakdown of the data, Ofoyeju said the drug with the largest quantity was cocaine, weighing 21.95kg.

Others were heroin, 31.75kg; methamphetamine, 30.39kg; and ephedrine 31.8kg.

While listing finance and logistic support as some of the challenges facing NDLEA, Ofoyeju attributed the interception of the drugs to scanning machines, skills and drug detection techniques employed by the anti-drug agency.

He said, “If you give the NDLEA surveillance aircrafts today, I can confidently tell you that cannabis cultivators will be out of business. The excessive crave for materialism is a big problem.

The more information people have on the dangers of drugs, the more active they will be in support of drug control programmes.”

The spokesperson said despite the sophistication of drug traffickers, the agency was ahead of them in discovering “industrially concealed drugs.”

He said, “Over the years, we have traced and discovered drugs in foodstuff, electrical appliances, automobile parts, female hair, hand bags, computer sets and even human bodies through ingestion. Interestingly, most of the modes of concealment are industrially done, making them look sophisticated.”

The agency asked parents to closely monitor their wards and warned against seeking greener pastures abroad without adequate resources because drug trafficking often becomes an option for those stranded abroad.

In a related development, the NDLEA on Saturday said it had taken steps to boost its operations at various courier and transport companies in the country.

This followed a training programme organised by the agency for employees of courier companies in collaboration with Nigeria Postal Service in Lagos.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said the training was designed to highlight the vulnerability of courier and transport companies in drug trafficking and foster harmonious working relationship with operatives of the agency.

Giade said, “This training is important because drug barons have been moving drugs across the world through the courier companies. Discussions on drug seizures and arrests made by the agency at the courier companies and the modes of concealment will help the trainees appreciate the need for a harmonious working relationship.”

via
 Punch