Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered consignments of illicit drugs concealed inside water purifier machines imported from Europe, as the agency intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking networks across the country.
The agency disclosed that the shipment, which arrived in Lagos from the Netherlands, contained three kilogrammes of ketamine and 199 grammes of MDMA, popularly known as Ecstasy, hidden within the appliances.
The illicit substances were discovered and confiscated during an operation at a courier facility in Lagos on May 26.
In a separate operation in Kaduna State, NDLEA officers arrested a married couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside another suspect, Salomi Ezekiel, following the recovery of 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,246 kilogrammes.
The drugs were reportedly found at their residence in the Gonin Gora area of the state.
The anti-narcotics agency also intercepted a suspect, identified as Sunusi Musa, along the Abuja-Kaduna highway near Jere. The 30-year-old was allegedly transporting 380 rounds of 7.62mm military-grade ammunition to Katsina State when he was apprehended.
NDLEA said the suspect and the ammunition had been handed over to the relevant security agency for further investigation and necessary action.
In Niger State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse in Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area, where 457 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered.
A 46-year-old suspect, Godwin Zakka, was subsequently arrested at his residence in Gbeganu, Minna, in connection with the seizure.
Similarly, along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial vehicle heading to Taraba State and recovered 22,000 tramadol tablets, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grammes of bromazepam.
The agency said the driver, identified as James Maigari Wisdom, was taken into custody for further investigation.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands nationwide continued the War Against Drug Abuse campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
The awareness initiatives were conducted in educational institutions across Cross River, Taraba, Lagos and Anambra states, among others.
Commending officers involved in the successful operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), praised personnel in Kaduna, Niger and Enugu states, as well as members of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, for their commitment.
Marwa urged the officers to sustain the momentum in combating drug trafficking while strengthening public enlightenment efforts aimed at discouraging substance abuse across the country.