NDLEA Seizes 8,852kg Canadian Loud In Lagos After 30 Minutes Gun Duel With Traffickers

After a 30-minute gun fight with some drug traffickers, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Thursday, seized a total of 8,852 kilograms (8.8 tons) of Canadian Loud, an imported synthetic strain of cannabis, at the Eleko beach road in Lekki area of Lagos State.

The drugs loaded in two trucks were seized after the operatives of the agency overpowered the traffickers.

One of the trucks had 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kg, while the second one had 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kg, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852 kg.

“Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives had laid ambush for the traffickers along the Eleko beach road in Lekki and at about 4:51am on Thursday 4th May, two long trucks conveying the illicit consignments were flagged down but rather than stopping, the trucks escorted by armed men sped off, as a result of which there was an exchange of gunfire that lasted 30 minutes. After they were overpowered by the NDLEA operatives, the truck drivers and their armed escorts escaped into the bush abandoning the trucks and the drug consignments.

“While one of the trucks painted red has 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kg, the second one with blue colour has 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kg, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852 kilograms,’ a statement by NDLEA’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, operatives of the agency are already on the trail of those who shipped the illicit consignment into the country.

According to the statement, NDLEA operatives on the same day also intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle driven by one Mukaila Idowu, conveying 88.3kg skunk at Otedola bridge, in the Ikeja area of the state, while another suspect, Joseph Friday was arrested on Saturday at Iyana with 58.7kg cannabis sativa concealed inside his Toyota Camry car marked FST 587FH.