NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden In Mortar, Backpack Bound For China And Italy

NDLEA officers have intercepted cocaine hidden inside a traditional wooden mortar and in the false bottom of a backpack, stopping two consignments meant for shipment from Lagos to China and Italy.

The reports said 250 grams of cocaine was factory-fitted into the base of a local mortar packed in a carton for export to China. Another 500 grams was found hidden in the false bottom of a backpack being shipped to Italy among lace materials.

The seizures were announced by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who said officers uncovered the consignments through a logistics company in Lagos. Punch, Vanguard and Daily Post all matched the main details of the concealment methods, weights and destinations.

The agency said the mortar was the kind normally used locally for pounding yam or grains, but had been altered to hide the drug consignment. The backpack case used a concealed base to make the shipment look like ordinary luggage.

Daily Post also reported that the agency announced other arrests and seizures in the same update, including action against a suspected drug dealer in Rivers State. The Lagos export interceptions remain the central part of the report because the three outlets independently carried the same cocaine-concealment details.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Daily Post