The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two consignments of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado or Colos, shipped from the United Kingdom and recovered additional quantities of the drug concealed in music speakers in Lagos.
The seizures formed part of a nationwide crackdown that also led to arrests and recoveries of tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, codeine, pentazocine, MDMA and cannabis in several states.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the operations in a statement on Sunday.
At the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, operatives intercepted 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg in a consolidated cargo from the UK.
Babafemi said a 33-year-old real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after arriving to collect the luggage using a collection code allegedly sent by his brother in the UK.
A separate follow-up operation resulted in the arrest of Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44, who was allegedly linked to another UK consignment containing 12.25kg of Colorado. He reportedly told investigators that his brother sent the package.
In another Lagos operation, NDLEA officers recovered three packs of Colorado hidden inside a music speaker at Maza Maza motor park. The consignment was reportedly headed for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and eventually Liberia. A tour agent, Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner, Obasi Ugochukwu, 46, were arrested.
At Iddo Park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on September 11 while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
The agency reported major seizures outside Lagos, including 785,000 pregabalin capsules weighing 669.425kg recovered in Sabon Gari, Kano, with a 20-year-old suspect, Saidu Adamu, arrested. Officers also intercepted 1,700 diazepam tablets concealed in loaves of bread along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia road and arrested 28-year-old Habibu Sabitu.
In Plateau State, NDLEA arrested 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 tramadol capsules.
Operations in Delta State also produced seizures of pentazocine, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam and MDMA, with two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, arrested.
In Edo, NDLEA operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of skunk from cannabis farms in three forest locations and arrested 39-year-old Sunday Segun. In Ondo, 186kg of skunk was recovered from the boot of a Toyota Avalon in Akure, with 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala arrested.
The agency further reported the seizure of 369.6kg of cannabis from female suspect Hannah Michael in Kaduna and 876kg contained in 110 bags in Bayelsa, where four suspects, including 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved and directed them to maintain pressure on drug trafficking networks at airports, seaports, land borders and cannabis-growing areas.
The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness campaigns in schools, communities, workplaces and religious institutions during the week.
NDLEA intercepts Colorado shipments from UK, seizes drugs across 10 states
