The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted travellers’ cheques in different foreign currencies worth N1.157, 670, 469.92 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos
The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement made available to BusinessDay, in Abuja, said a suspect, Oguma Uchenna, was arrested in connection with the attempt to export the cheques.
The cheques, according to the NDLEA, were neatly concealed inside four bound hardcover books disguised as academic project literatures, to the United Kingdom.
The financial instruments suspected to be counterfeits were discovered on Wednesday, April 27, at the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport during cargo examination of some consignments meant for exportation to the UK on a cargo flight.
Read also: 2023: NDLEA wants political parties to screen aspirants for drugs
A breakdown of the cheques shows they have monetary values of $287, 623.31; $1,456,300 (Canadian dollars), and 1,297,800 euros.
Operatives of the agency at the airport also foiled attempts by drug traffickers to smuggle into Nigeria 10.89kg of cocaine through a Qatar Airways flight.
The illicit drug was hidden in seven children duvets packed in an unaccompanied bag from Brazil.
The agency spokesman also said raid operations in Kaduna, Ondo and Akwa Ibom states led to the seizure of about 2,000kg of tramadol, codeine, cannabis and heroin.
In Ondo, 401kg of cannabis was recovered and two suspects: Julius Dapo, 56 and Emeka Ikebuaku, 32, were arrested at Ipele forest in the Owo area on Sunday, April 24.
On the same day, a trans-border drug trafficker, Chigbo Chinonye, 42, was arrested with amphetamine weighing 2.5kg and heroin weighing 0.5kg during a stop and search operation conducted along Oron- Ibaka road on his way to Cameroon. He concealed the drugs using false bottom packaging.
In Kaduna, a total of 47 cartons of suspected fake Tramadol, comprising 2,350,000 tablets, weighing 1222kg were seized in Zaria on Monday, April 25, while a dealer, Chinedu Asogwa was arrested the following day, April 26, along Abuja-Kaduna express road, with 2919 bottles of cough syrup with codeine, measuring 291.9 litres and a gross weight of 396kg.
Buba Marwa, chairman of the NDLEA, commended officers and men of the MMIA, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Kaduna commands of the agency for the seizures and arrests in the past week.
Marwa further charged them and officers in other commands across the country to remain steadfast and vigilant in their areas of responsibility.
