Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) weekend frustrated an attempt by ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede, to export a consignment of rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
This was contained in a statement made available weekend by director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
He stated that consignment was hidden in a cargo containing gari, shoes, men’s singlets and other items.
“Olarenwaju was convicted for a similar crime earlier this year following his arrest on December12, 2023 for attempting to ship 4.90kg tramadol and 2.10kg rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Lagos airport.
“He was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos with an option to pay a fine of N900, 000, which he paid and was freed before returning to repeat the same crime,” Babafemi stated.
Meanwhile, an Italy-based businesswoman Cynthia Akaeen was on December 18, arrested by the operatives while trying to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy via Addis Ababa.
The suspect was intercepted at the departure point of terminal 2 of the Lagos Airport during an outward clearance of passengers going to Italy.
A total of 9,190 tablets of various brands of tramadol weighing 6.00kg were recovered from her. She confessed that she was promised 1,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy.
No fewer than 418,330 pills of tramadol 225mg, 100mg and tapentadol 250mg as well as 8,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a warehouse at a building material market in Onitsha, Anambra state on Tuesday 17th December when NDLEA operatives raided the market following credible intelligence.
