Brazilian Woman, 72-Year-Old Grandpa, Village Head Nabbed in NDLEA Raids

Victoria Silvanus

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian national, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, with 30.09 kilograms of white heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs valued at over ₦3 billion.

Benevides, a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, upon arrival on Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following processed intelligence. A search of her two checked-in bags revealed 21 sealed packs of Brazilian coffee, which, upon examination, were found to contain heroin instead of the beverage. The seizure represents the largest single heroin interception at the Abuja airport to date. The suspect claimed during interrogation that she travelled to Nigeria under the guise of a holiday.

Drug Interceptions at Airports and Waterways
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, January 20, intercepted two outbound passengers, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, en route to Istanbul, Turkey. The duo was found with 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramaking, concealed in food items packed in their luggage.

Meanwhile, operatives of the NDLEA Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud cannabis, weighing 1,848 kilograms, at Jakande Beach, Lekki, Lagos, in the early hours of Thursday, January 22. The consignment had just arrived from Ghana when officers stormed the location around 1:00 a.m. and recovered both the drugs and the boat.
Explosives Intercepted, Terror Supply Chain Disrupted

In Ekiti State, NDLEA officers arrested 72-year-old Afolalu Joseph and Abu Bunmi (45) for illicit drug dealing, recovering 62 kilograms of skunk from them.
In Edo State, a village head, Chief James Abamu, alongside Aboy Egah Abamu, was taken into custody after soldiers of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, Benin, raided a camp in Ilushi, Esan South-East LGA, where 681 kilograms of skunk and 181 kilograms of cannabis seeds were recovered.
Other arrests across the country included seizures of tramadol, codeine syrup, pentazocine injections, skunk, skuchies, and other illicit substances in Kano, Lagos, Oyo, Benue, Delta, Ondo, FCT, Kwara, Jigawa, Niger, and other states.
NDLEA Sustains War Against Drug Abuse
Across its commands nationwide, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, reaching institutions in Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue, Katsina, and other states.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel nationwide to sustain the current level of professionalism in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.


Source: NDLEA

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