Abuja, Nigeria: In a major crackdown on illicit drug production, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a factory manufacturing skuchies—a dangerous psychoactive cocktail made from cannabis and blackcurrant drink.
A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja stated that operatives acted on intelligence and carried out the raid on Thursday, September 11.
Babafemi said that 6,029 bottles of the new psychoactive substance and 4,232kg of cannabis were recovered from the factory.
He noted that the factory, located in Caritas, Ibeshe area of Ikorodu, had its manager arrested.
Similarly, another suspect was arrested on the same day in the Mushin area of the state with 26kg of skunk.
Babafemi said that at the Tincan Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg of hashish oil, were recovered from a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles.
Babafemi said that the drugs were imported from Montreal, Canada, and were intercepted during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday, September 9.
“Two suspects, John Ochigbo, 53 and Okeke Kingsley, 26, have been taken into custody in connection with the seizure,” he said.
Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65kg was tracked from the port to the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, September 11.
He said operatives of the NDLEA intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it and arrested the driver.
In another development, two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in a picture frame and Loud, hidden in video players, were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday, September 8 and Thursday, September 11, respectively.
“While six grams of methamphetamine recovered from the picture frame were meant for delivery in Gabon, 1.1kg Loud in the decoder machine was heading to the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
Also in Abuja, NDLEA operatives on a stop and search operation at Utako area of the FCT on Thursday, September 11, arrested a dispatch rider while on a mission to distribute 50.7grams of cocaine and 66grams of Loud.
Elsewhere, three female suspects were arrested in Lagbondoko and Akitan areas of Oyo town, in Oyo.
“This was in connection with the seizure of 17kg of skunk found in their possession,” he said.
