18 December 2024 , 16:50
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NDLEA Operatives foil Christmas drug smuggling attempt, seizing multi million dollar worth of methamphetamine and "loud" cannabis coming in from Canada into Nigeria
In a nationwide crackdown on two major international drug trafficking gangs, Nigerian authorities have arrested six suspects accused of smuggling drugs mainly hidden in car parts coming from Canada and distributing them to terrorist groups in Nigeria.
Law enforcement agencies across three continents tracked the drugs’ journey from Canada to Nigeria via Belgium to determine their destination and identify the recipients. Upon arrival, police seized significant quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids worth millions of dollars, reportedly intended for distribution in Nigeria during the Christmas and New Year festive season.
One shipment bound for Ladipo Market in Lagos contained five kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside a bedsheet in a Toyota Camry. One suspect was arrested. Another shipment, consisting of 1,735 parcels of Loud — a highly potent type of cannabis with a strong odor — and 87 packs of methamphetamine totaling over 78 kilograms, was discovered in a container packed with automobile spare parts.
In a separate operation, officials in Rivers State seized 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup following credible intelligence on the shipment.
Earlier in November, authorities disrupted a drug syndicate operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, which attempted to smuggle 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms into Lagos.
Ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking are part of the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which raises awareness in schools, workplaces, places of worship, and local communities across the country.