Categories: metro

90-year-old held over drug supply to bandits

Pastor arrested with three drums of Mkpuru Mmiri
Australia, Indonesia-bound Meth seized

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday said it operatives arrested a 90-year-old retired soldier for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to bandits in Sokoto.

The suspect, Usman Adamu, was arrested on Wednesday at Mailalle, Sabon Birni Local Government Area (LGA) with 5.1kg of cannabis sativa, NDLEA’s spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement yesterday afternoon.

Babafemi also said a pastor, Anietie Okon Effiong, was arrested with three drums of crystal methamphetamine locally called Mkpuru Mmiri, believed to have been imported from India.

Pastor Effiong, according to NDLEA, was arrested on Saturday at Oron Beach, after a consignment weighing 90kg loaded into a commercial bus at Ojuelegba, Lagos was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Highway.

The drug was alleged to be destined for Cameroon.

The agency further said it made four seizures of crystal methamphetamine weighing 4.07kgs that were for shipment to Australia, Indonesia and Philippines at some courier companies in Lagos, adding that another 3kgs of cannabis sativa bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were also seized.

The consignments, it said, were concealed in body cream, hot burner iron and beads.

“At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a 37-year-old indigene of Ovia LGA, Edo State and resident in Italy; Solo Osamede has been arrested for ingesting 41 wraps of heroin. “He was nabbed and taken into custody for excretion while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday 30th July.

Several prohibited drugs and alleged couriers were also said to have been intercepted in various parts of the country.