The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 40-year-old wanted drug lord at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while he attempted to fly to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the suspect had previously faced drug charges in the United Kingdom but jumped bail and returned to Nigeria. Soon after settling in Lagos, he established a clandestine laboratory in Lekki for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis, and other illicit substances.
The arrest, executed by a special operations unit on Thursday, Nov. 6, also led to the detention of another suspect at the lab. NDLEA operatives dismantled all laboratory equipment, seizing 148.3 kilograms of Colorado and precursor chemicals.
In other operations:
At Sifax bonded terminal, Okota, Lagos, 105.5kg of Molly and 500 grams of methamphetamine were discovered during a joint inspection with the Nigeria Customs Service.
In Niger State, a suspect in a Volvo truck was intercepted along Kainji-Wawa road with 87,000 tramadol pills and 72kg of skunk cannabis.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the arrests and lab dismantling, noting that these operations are part of ongoing efforts to strike at drug traffickers. He warned that the agency, supported by national and international partners, will continue to hunt and bring drug offenders to justice.
