Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted two shipments of synthetic cannabis, popularly called Colorado, concealed in consolidated cargoes coming from the United Kingdom.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted a UK-inbound consignment concealing 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

He said a real estate agent who showed up with a secret collection code relayed from his UK-based brother to collect a large piece of luggage containing the illicit substance was arrested on Wednesday.

He also said that a follow-up operation stemming from a second UK consignment led operatives to the designated recipient of another consignment of Colorado weighing 12.25kg.

According to Mr Babafemi, the suspect said the consignment was sent to him by his brother in the UK.

“At least seven suspects connected to the seized cargoes have been arrested,” he said.

He said the NDLEA also intercepted a music speaker rigged with three packs of Colorado at a motor park in Maza Maza, Lagos, heading to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.

Mr Babafemi said that a tour agent and the consignment’s owner were both arrested after a swift sting operation at a nearby eatery.

Meanwhile, operatives of the NDLEA recovered over 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs in raids and interdiction operations across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa, and Kano.

Mr Babafemi said that two separate arrests at Ughelli and Asaba, Delta State, yielded a haul of ampoules of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam (hypnox) and MDMA (Molly).

He said several were concealed in music speakers, and two suspects were arrested.

Also, in Kano, a raid at Sabon Gari led to the arrest of a 20-year-old suspect with a staggering 785,000 capsules of Pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.

Similarly, Babafemi said that a stop-and-search operation along the Zaria–Kano–Hadejia road netted 1,700 tablets of diazepam concealed inside loaves of bread seized from another suspect.

He added that a 51-year-old man was also nabbed at Katako market, Jos,  with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.

He also added that the agency sustained pressure on illicit cannabis cultivation with the destruction of 4,832.56 kilograms of skunk on cannabis farms.

The NDLEA spokesman said the farms, located in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Ovia South West, Owan East and Owan West LGA, Edo State, had a suspect arrested on Friday.

In another development, NDLEA operatives in Ondo, acting on credible intelligence on Wednesday, raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure.

Mr Babafemi said that they recovered 186kg of skunk concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car marked ABJ 917 FV, from a 58-year-old suspect who was planning to move the consignment to Jos for onward distribution.

Additionally, in Kaduna, a female suspect was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis, while in Bayelsa, four suspects, including a 70-year-old woman, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, commending the officers and men of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa, and Kano commands for the various successful operations.

Mr Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue the agency’s ongoing balanced approach to drug control.

He also urged them to continue to shut every pipeline being used by drug cartels, whether at the airports, seaports, land borders, or in the hinterland where cannabis was cultivated.

(NAN)