The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant seizures and arrests in its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in Nigeria. Following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine on a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, at the Apapa Port in Lagos, 22 Indian crew members have been taken into custody. The cocaine, which originated from the Marshall Islands, was found in hatch 3 of the ship.
The detained crew members include the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 others. In a related development, NDLEA operatives intercepted various quantities of Ketamine, Ecstasy, and Tramadol pills concealed in sachets of coffee mix and book parcels destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
In Oyo State, a 65-year-old female drug kingpin, Fatima Ilori, also known as “Mama Kerosine,” was arrested along with another suspect, Olusanya Abosede, 35, in the Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan. The arrest was made following the seizure of 238.4 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, linked to Ilori.
The NDLEA also disrupted the supply chain of illicit drugs to insurgents in Borno State with the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of large consignments of drugs. In Lagos, 400 kilograms of skunk and a van were recovered at the Mobolaji Johnson area on New Year’s Day. Additionally, a suspect was arrested in Jigawa State while attempting to transport 140.8 kilograms of skunk, allegedly sourced from Taraba State and destined for Yobe State.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers recovered 238.5 kilograms of skunk from a suspect’s residence, while 32,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam were seized from another suspect. These seizures and arrests demonstrate the NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and distribution in Nigeria. The agency’s efforts are crucial in disrupting the supply chain of illicit drugs and reducing their availability in the country.
