The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) agents have uncovered varying amounts of ephedrine, skunk, and nitrous oxide, sometimes known as laughing gas, that were hidden in semovita packs and dried pepper.
According to the agency, drugs were being transported to South Africa and Kenya via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
This was revealed in a statement posted on their Facebook page on Sunday and penned by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy.
The statement read, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted various quantities of ephedrine, skunk and nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas concealed in semovita packs and dry pepper being shipped to South Africa and Kenya through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos by members of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO), some of who were promptly arrested, their mansions raided and their luxury vehicles seized.
“Through credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday 25th August intercepted a notorious drug trafficker, Suleiman Babatunde Oba who is a member of a cartel distributing Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.
“He was arrested while attempting to board a Rwanda Air flight to South Africa with two boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in semovita packs. The recovered substance is a precursor chemical and active ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.”