Business
NDLEA Seizes 56.25kg of Heroin
A clearing and forwarding agent, Yekini Shittu is now helping the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to unravel how and who concealed 56.25 kilogrammes of herion inside car shock absorbers which originated from Pakistan but was intercepted at the Mutala Muhammed International Aiport (MMA).
According to NDLEA spokesman, Mitchell Ofeyeju who described the howl as the single largest seizure made in 2009, an airport taxi driver, Kamoru Ayinde Gbadamoii has been declared wanted in connection with the deal.
A drug cartel had wanted to smuggle the drug into the country on two separate occasions in November and December last year when NDLEA officials uncovered the plots.
Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade expressed satisfaction with operation West Bridge under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
He commended the UK authorities for applying the intelligence that led to the first seizure and promised to sustain and strengthen the agreement.
According to him, “I am pleased with the tremendous success in our foreign collaboration. Our relation with the UK, under the Operation West Bridge, has been quite exceptional and will be sustained. The more united law enforcement agencies are the more disunited drug cartels will become.”
The first consignment was sent through Emirate cargo flight No EK783 with airway bill number 176-13605561 on November 20, 2009.
A total of 120 pieces of heroin weighing 28 kilogrammes were found hidden inside car shock absorbers packed in three wooden crates.
The 45-year old clearing and forwarding agent, Shittu in the cargo section of the airport is assisting narcotics investigators in the matter.
The NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar disclosed that internal surveillance activities by offices of MMIA yielded positive result following the successful interception of the second consignment with airway bill number 706-21588792.
It was declared as auto parts from Lahore, Pakistan aboard Kenya airline flight KQ534 that arrived Nigeria on December 23, 2009.