Three sexagenarian grandfathers have been arrested in connection with the seizure of over 52.252 kilograms of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Skunk as well as 32, 590 pills of opioids in Lagos, Kwara, Plateau, states by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
A statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said 63-year-old grandfather, Balogun Akinlabi Abideen was arrested in connection with eight cartons of shoes coming from Los Angeles, United States of America.
The package was intercepted on Friday 24th February by NDLEA operatives attached to the NAHCO import shed of the airport.
He said a diligent examination of the cargo however showed that the shoes were used to conceal a total of 37 parcels of Loud variant of Cannabis with a gross weight of 20.10 kilograms.
Balogun, hired as freight agent to clear the illicit consignment.
Two other sexagenarians arrested in connection with drug trafficking include Butven Siman, 62, who was nabbed with 5.5kgs skunk on Friday 17th Feb. at Timbol village, Langtang South LGA, Plateau state.
Also,65-year-old Musa Shuaib who was arrested with a kilogram of cannabis on Thursday 23rd Feb in Adewole area of Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Similarly, at two major courier companies in Lagos, a total of 4.292 kilograms of psychoactive drugs including Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Lexaton, and Swindon concealed in walls of cartons, picture frames, bathing soap packs and bedsheets were recovered from parcels going to United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia by officers of the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI attached to the logistics firms.
In Sokoto state, NDLEA operatives at the Illela land border on Tuesday 21st Feb intercepted a Nigerien, Bashar Abdu of Kwanni, Niger Republic with 1.460kgs of skunk wrapped round his private part, while in Kaduna, a suspect, Mohammed Garba (a.k.a Alfazazi), was arrested with 6,390 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, weighing 3.4kgs on Thursday 23rd along Abuja-Kaduna express road.
Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the operatives for the siezures and arrests.
He noted that their efforts and those of their compatriots across the country have in no small measure reduced access to and availability of illicit substances in Nigerian communities.
He charged them to remain vigilant at all times.
