How Kwara NDLEA nabbed smugglers with 789 packs of marijuana – Source

By Ahmed Ajikobi

More facts emerged during the week on how suspected Indian hemp
(cannabis sativa) smugglers were nabbed along Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa
highway last Tuesday by the men of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State Command.
The banned substance recovered from the three suspects were said to
weigh 757 kg.
Speaking with Pilot Crime, a top official of the NDLEA in the state
who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the
press over the issue, said the operatives during a patrol intercepted
a J5 vehicle with registration number: DDM 75 XA (Katsina).
According to the source, although the bus appeared empty, the
smugglers carefully hide the items from the prying eyes of operatives
of the agency.
“Luck ran out of the three of them in the bus when the operatives
conducted a search on the vehicle. They were asked to come down and
the driver, Namani Musa, was requested to open the door. The J5 has no
seat in it except the one at the driver side.
“After a thorough search, our operatives discovered a seed of cannabis
sativa in the bus which prompted the need for further and more
thorough exploration of the vehicle.
“The operatives asked the driver and his accomplices where they kept
the items but they denied there was nothing in the car adding that
they were travelling to Sokoto from Abeokuta.
“But when they were asked to remove plate sheet that was screwed to
the floor of the bus, it was discovered that used to cover the
construction of a bottom compartment in the bus used to conceal items.
“Right there, it was discovered the compartment contained 789 packs of
marijuana well sealed. The operatives arrested the driver and his two
accomplices, Faruku Bala and Abu Dogo and they were taken to the
command”, the source divulged.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Commander, Umoru Ambrose has described the
arrest as a result of the unrelenting efforts of the command to deal
with hard drug dealers, users and retailers among others.
The commander further noted that, this is the highest singular seizure
of cannabis sativa in the command since inception.
He added that, the suspects, Namani Musa, Faruku Bala and Abu Dogo
were arrested in connection with the recovered exhibit.
“The suspects had loaded the recovered 757 kilogrammes  of cannabis
sativa from Abeokuta in a false bottom compartment of the J5 vehicle
travelling to Sokoto.
“Beside the concealment of the exhibit in false bottom compartment,
there were no other items, making it look as if the vehicle was empty.
This is another mode of concealment of illicit drugs which has been
uncovered. Effort to track down other members in Sokoto and Abeokuta
is ongoing. So investigation is ongoing on the matter”, he added.
The NDLEA Commander stated further that, penultimate Friday, 50-yr old
Unma Chukwu Chinedu was also nabbed with illicit drugs which amount to
a total of 2.8 kg of psychotropic substances in Ilesha Baruba, Kwara
State.
“The suspect ordered the illicit drug tramadol 225 and Diazepam from
Kano and was waiting for the consignment to be delivered to him before
it was intercepted in a stop and search operation by the operatives.
He is currently undergoing investigation and will be taken to court”.