NDLEA found drugs hidden in cerelac baby food

Eric Patrick

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered illicit drugs hidden in tins of cerelac baby food and clothes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier firm in Lagos.

The consignments were meant to be shipped to the United States and United Kingdom.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and shared on the Agency's Facebook page on Sunday.

According to the statement, no less than 36 parcels of a strong strain of cannabis concealed in six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food, with six containers in each package were recovered at the SAHCOL export shed of Lagos airport on Wednesday 31st July 2024. The psychotropic substance has a total weight of 18.50 kilograms.

Babafemi stated that Commands and formations of the Agency across the country have continued the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities among others in the past week.

The activities include a WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Khuddam College of Health Technology, Kofar Kaura, Katsina state, staff of Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta state; youths of St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Okpuno Awka, Anambra state and WADA advocacy visit to the Lisa of Ifon and community leaders, Ondo state, among others.

The statement read, "A freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola who presented the consignment for export to the UK was promptly arrested while a follow-up operation to Ibadan, Oyo state on Saturday 3rd August led to the arrest of the sender of the cargo, Bello Motunrayo Folu at her No. 20 Mofoluwasho Estate, Elewuro, Akobo area of the Oyo state capital.

"The Cerelac tins were all factory-sealed at the top while they tampered with the bottom through which they put the substances covered with loose quantities of the infant cereal meal to prevent discovery, an effort that ended in futility as vigilant NDLEA officers were able to foil the attempt.

"In the same vein, five different shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, such as promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine concealed in cloths and other items meant for export to the US and UK were equally interrupted by NDLEA operatives in Lagos.

"While one of the shipments containing 820grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was going to the United States, the remaining four parcels consisting of over two kilograms of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly, and NPS were heading to the United Kingdom. They were all intercepted on Monday 29th July at a logistics company in Lagos.

"Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos on Friday 2nd August recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis from the body compartments of four vehicles: Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Sienna imported from Canada during a joint examination of some containers with men of the Customs Service and other stakeholders.

"The seized consignments have a total weight of 38.5 kilograms while two suspects: Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments have been taken into custody.

"While Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos on Thursday 1st August with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 174 litres and 1,070 tablets of Molly weighing 600grams, no less than 50 bags of cannabis with a gross weight of 520kg were recovered in the bush at Isuada, Owo council area of Ondo state just as five suspects were arrested at Itaogbolu forest, Akure North LG area of the state. The suspects nabbed in connection with the seizure of 42kg of the same psychoactive substance include Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34.

"In Edo state, twenty-two and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220kg were recovered from Egbeta community, Ovia North East area of Edo state on Tuesday 30th July while a suspect, Osayede Aghoma was arrested. Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was on Wednesday 31st July nabbed with 40 blocks of the same substance weighing 19.200kg along Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Kano.

"While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan, Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the zeal and tempo."