NDLEA seizes 83kg drugs from Canada, arrests three

Three businessmen, Emeka Nwanolue, Friday Ogbe and Isaac Onwumere, have been arrested following the seizure of a multi-billion naira worth of methamphetamine and Loud shipments, weighing 83.301 kilograms, meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos.

Our correspondent learnt that the drugs were concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada.

The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the shipments were seized following months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.

He said, “Multi-billion naira worth of shipments of methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the NDLEA at the Tin Can Seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.”

Babafemi noted that this marked the first time the agency had recovered two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms.

He added that the shipments were destined for warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in the Mushin area of Lagos. Two businessmen, Emeka Nwanolue and Friday Ogbe, were arrested for the seizure.

“For the first time in the history of the NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were, on Thursday and Friday, December 12 and 13, 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin, Lagos,” Babafemi said.

“While one of the containers destined for the Ladipo market through the Sifax-bonded terminal was examined on Thursday, December 12, not less than 5.001kg of methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in a bedsheet inside a Toyota Camry car was recovered. A businessman, Isaac Onwumere, linked with the consignment, was promptly arrested.

“The other container, bearing automobile spare parts and examined on Friday, December 13, was found to contain 1,735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen, Emeka Nwanolue and Friday Ogbe, have been arrested in connection with the seizure.”

Babafemi disclosed that the two methamphetamine consignments had a combined weight of 83.301kg, valued at N124,951,000, while the 867.5kg of Loud was worth N2,168,750,000 in street value.

Narrating how the drugs were tracked and intercepted, Babafemi said the seizures were the culmination of meticulous intelligence operations spanning several months.

According to him, the NDLEA’s Special Operations Units and the Tin Can Port Strategic Command had been tracking the consignments from their points of origin in Canada.

“The first container, carrying 5.001kg of methamphetamine, came under the NDLEA’s radar on October 4, 2024, during preparations for shipment in Toronto, Canada. The agency monitored its movement through October 8, when it was received at a rail ramp, loaded onto a train, and transported to Montreal, Canada. It arrived and was unloaded on October 9.

“From there, the consignment was tracked until it was loaded onto a vessel on October 19. The vessel arrived and discharged its cargo at Antwerp, Belgium, on October 30, after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded onto another vessel on November 14. This vessel eventually docked at the Lagos Port on December 1, with the consignment released to a bonded terminal on December 3,” Babafemi explained.

He added that the second shipment, containing 867.5kg of Loud and 78.3kg of methamphetamine, was flagged by the NDLEA’s intelligence team on October 8, 2024, when it was delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada.

“The shipment was loaded onto a train on October 14 and arrived in Montreal the next day, October 15.

“It was then loaded onto a vessel bound for Europe on October 20. After arriving in Antwerp, Belgium, on November 6, it was trans-shipped on November 17 and closely monitored as it made its way to the Lagos Port. The consignment was finally discharged on December 6 and moved to a bonded terminal on December 10,” Babafemi stated.

Meanwhile, at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State, Babafemi said 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.5bn were intercepted in shipments from India.

“No fewer than 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup, worth N4,456,200,000 in street value, were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, December 9, 11, 13, 2024.

“The seizures were made during a joint examination of four containers by the NDLEA officers, men of the customs, and other security agencies at the port, following credible intelligence on the shipments,” he added.