By Christopher Oji 

Desperate efforts by drug cartels to export different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cannabis to London, United Kingdom through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport(MMIA), Lagos, have been scuttled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA).

Narcotic officers of the Agency had on Thursday  October 28, during outward routine clearance of cargo at NAHCO export shed of the airport intercepted 20 parcels of Cocaine weighing 1.2kg concealed in packets of Zee black soap; 23 parcels of Heroin weighing 1.4kg hidden in packets of Zee black soap and 39 parcels of 2.35kg Methamphetamine concealed in Dudu -Osun black soap packets.

Few days earlier, October 21, a similar cargo had been intercepted at the NAHCO shed of the MMIA, where 7.35kgs of Cannabis concealed inside some tablets of Dudu Osun black soap were recovered. No fewer than three suspects have so far been arrested in connection to the seizures.

Barely a week after she was arrested and granted bail for attempting to smuggle drugs concealed in cassava flour meal called ‘akpu’ into NDLEA cell for a suspect in custody, a nursing mother who claimed to be a part-time 400-level student of International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of Benin, Mariam Adetilewa Dirisu, has again  been arrested for trafficking in 5kg skunk and 8.1grammes of Molly.

The 35-year-old mother of a 2 month-old-baby ,was first arrested on October 21 by the Edo state Command of the agency. Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), had on the same day directed that she be counselled and released immediately because of the young baby she was carrying. Curiously, a controlled delivery operation carried out by operatives of the Delta state Command of the agency on Saturday, October 30, again led to the arrest of Mariam,who had ordered for the drugs from Lagos,even while was  still on bail for an earlier offence.

In Ondo state, no less than 1,645 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized in three interdiction operations in parts of the state.