The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two shipments of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado or “Colos,” concealed in consolidated cargoes from the United Kingdom.
The agency said its operatives recovered 32.20kg of the illicit substance from 27 parcels at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after allegedly arriving to collect the consignment using a code reportedly sent by his UK-based brother.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers intercepted another UK-bound consignment containing 12.25kg of Colorado and arrested its intended recipient, identified as 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri. The agency said the suspect claimed the shipment had been sent by his brother in the United Kingdom.
The NDLEA also reported recovering additional Colorado concealed inside music speakers at two motor parks in Lagos. One consignment was reportedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and eventually Liberia, while another 2.1kg shipment was intercepted at Iddo Park and allegedly headed for Kano. Several suspects were arrested in connection with the operations.
The interceptions are significant because they highlight the continued use of international cargo networks and transportation routes to move illicit drugs into and across Nigeria. The agency said the operations formed part of wider raids that resulted in the recovery of more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs across several states.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers involved and directed them to continue shutting down supply routes used by drug trafficking networks, including airports, seaports, land borders and inland distribution channels.
The latest seizures form part of the NDLEA’s broader campaign against drug trafficking and abuse. Established in 1989, the agency is mandated to combat the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Nigeria.
