The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of Loud, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis, concealed in giant loudspeakers tucked in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States.

The consignment was seized by the NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.

The NDLEA Director of Media Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this via a statement issued on Sunday, February 18, 2024, said when the wooden boxes dressed as sound speakers seized at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport were opened, the sound boxes were stuffed with 60 bags of the expensive but highly sought-after psychoactive substance, Loud, weighing 33.5 kilograms.

He noted that three suspects – a freight agent Akeem Afeez; logistics company manager Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega; and the receiver of the consignment Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo – were arrested in follow-up operations between Thursday and Friday, February 16.

Babafemi disclosed that Afeez was arrested at the airport, while Gboyega was nabbed at his office in Ikeja.

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The NDLEA spokesman added that Taiwo was traced to his residence in the Lekki area of Lagos where he was arrested on Friday.

He noted that a 45-year-old suspect, Charles Chike, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in a hotel in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Friday, February 16, with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg.

Babafemi said the exhibit was concealed in the boot of a blue Honda Accord car marked Abuja ABC 853 SL, which took off from Ekiti State en route to Abuja.

He stated that 227kg of the same substance was recovered from Atoshi camp, Emure-Ile in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, adding that two suspects, John Jonathan and Emmanuel Alex, were arrested.

Commending the anti-narcotic officers for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), equally applauded them for intensifying the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy lectures by creating a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

The Star