An Indian businessman, Vyapak Nutal, has been taken into custody by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency over alleged smuggling of 134,700 bottles of codeine syrup into the country through the land border between Nigeria and Niger Republic in Sokoto State.
The suspect was said to have loaded the consignment into trucks in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and driven through the land border via Niger Republic before entering Sokoto State at the Illela border.
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said after the suspect settled in a hotel in Sokoto, credible intelligence revealed that he began to look for buyers for the drug.
He said, “While operatives were on his trail, officers of the Department of State Services apprehended him and swiftly handed him over to the NDLEA on Wednesday, February 10, 2022.”
Meanwhile, attempts by drug traffickers to export large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, khat, tramadol and cannabis through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport as well as three courier companies in Lagos have been frustrated by narcotic officers who intercepted the consignments.
At the Lagos airport, operatives on Tuesday, February 8, arrested one Felix Eshemokhai with 1.75kg heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco, while another trafficker, Okafor Onuzuruike, was also nabbed same day during his bid to travel on RwandAir to Dubai with 2.2kg of cannabis concealed in foodstuffs.
Also, the NDLEA said about 25kg of methamphetamine, tramadol, cannabis and khat concealed in motor parts, an MP3 player, a speaker and fabrics heading for USA, UK, Australia, Dubai and Madagascar were seized at three major courier companies in Lagos.
Babafemi said, “In the same vein, not even a bunch of talisman (charms) used by a trans-border drug dealer, Shu’aibu Salisu, could save him and his gang as their consignment of 578kg of cannabis meant for Niger Republic was intercepted in Kwara State on February 8 when two persons, Gambo Lawal and Ibrahim Mohammed, were arrested while conveying the drug to Charanchi, Katsina State.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Salisu and two others: Sani Musa and Auwal Amina the day after at different locations within Kaita LGA, Katsina.
“In Benue State, a fake security agent, Dennis Emadiong, was on Saturday, February 12, arrested at the NDLEA checkpoint, Alaide, Benue, with 239grams of cannabis and 10 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition while on his way from Akwa Ibom to Maiduguri, Borno State.”
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