NDLEA Raises Alarm as Seizure of Drugs Rises by 400 % in Lagos Airport
*Customs intercepts police uniforms, tear gas in Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Wednesday raised alarm over the rise in drug seizures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The agency said the rise has been about 400 percent between 2017 and 2018.
The MMIA Commandant, Mr. Ahmadu Garba, told newsmen that his agency impounded 5,377.125kilogrammes of drugs at the MMIA , Lagos, in 2018, as against 1,266.400 kilogrammes of drugs in the previous year.
He said this represents over 400 per cent increase when compared with the figure of 2017.
He said, “We were able to make this huge success in 2018 as a result of the cooperation by foreign airlines. Every year, we look at the airlines with the highest number of people that are arrested and liaise with them on how to address issue of drug trafficking.
“30.14 per cent of the suspected drug couriers arrested during the year were coming into Nigeria and the remaining 69.89 per cent were destined to different countries of the world with 13.70 per cent of them going to South Africa, which has the highest numbers.”
Garba disclosed that most of the drugs were meant for Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, Congo DRC, India, Mozambique, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
He attributed the increase in seizures to the training of officers and cooperation by airlines.
Most of the seized drugs were tramadol consignments.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Wednesday announced seizure of bales of police uniforms and tear gas canisters in Lagos.
The items were intercepted by the Federal Operations Unit of the Customs in Ikeja, as they were being moved out of Lagos.
Customs sources said the items, including berets, badges and ranks were concealed in a Toyota Sienna.
It is feared that the items may have been smuggled into the country through bush paths in the border stations.
The Customs Unit is currently detaining the driver of the car to provide more information on the items.
Operatives of the Customs have been placed on red alert to check importation of dangerous weapons into the country as the country goes to the presidential election in about nine days.
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