NDLEA Gets Court Order to Keep Three in Custody Over 105.2kg Cocaine Intercepted in Tin Can Ports
*One suspect still on the run By Francis Ugwoke
Three suspects have remained in the custody of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the interception of 105.2kg cocaine aboard a vessel that brought bulk sugar for Bua Limited at the Josepdam Terminal, Tin Can Island port, Lagos.
This is following the decision of the NDLEA to secure a court order empowering it to keep the suspects in detention withut trial for over 48 hours.
The suspects are helping the agency in the efforts to trace the real owners of the cocaine discovered in Spar Scorpio which came with bulk sugar for Bua Limited.
It was gatehred that one of the suspects working with Bua is yet to make himself available to the agency.
A crane operator had discovered the drug while discharging sugar on board the vessel.
The crane operator had on discovering what he suspected was different from the sugar consignment being discharged called in a colleague working with the terminal operator.
It was the colleague who also decided to draw the attention of an agent working for Josepdam.
It was at this stage that the attention of the operatives of the NDLEA was drawn who moved in immediately and took away the consignment.
Our source said that before this, there was opposition from the Police at the port who wanted to take the consignment to their Commissioner .
But the NDLEA operatives resisted and immediately took the consignment to their Victoria Island office for further confirmation.
This was after carrying out another thorough search of the entire vessel.
Our source added that the resident customs officers at Tin Can Island port were completely unaware of this situation.
The Tin Can Port Command Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Mr Uche Ejesieme had in a statement on Tuesday last week confirmed that the consignment was discovered by the terminal operator who alerted the PSO to the Port Manager.
The statement also said the NDLEA operatives had taken the consignment away to their office.
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