The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Sunday confirmed the arrest of a 63-year-old grandfather, Afolabi Kolawole, for shipping illicit substances to his daughter, Barakat, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said Kolwawole, who was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, during interrogation, confessed to concealing the illicit substances inside black native soap before shipment to his daughter in Dubai.

He said, “A major importer of a loud variant of cannabis from the United States, Abibu Afis Sola and a 63-year-old grandfather who ships illicit substances to his daughter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, are among those arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.

“Abibu was arrested in connection with a 19.30kg Colorado consignment from Los Angeles, USA, which was intercepted on June 30, at the NAHCO cargo import shed of the Lagos airport. While Abibu was still being interviewed in custody, a 37.1kg consignment of Loud intercepted on July 7 was also traced to him.

“Meanwhile, a freight agent, Miss Njoko Elizabeth, 37, has been arrested for attempting to export 250grams of Tramadol and cannabis to Dubai through the NAHCO export shed. Also, at the Lagos airport, 249,600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg have been recovered from a shipment from India at the SAHCO import shed of the MMIA.

“The 63-year-old grandfather behind an intercepted drug exhibit going to Dubai, Afolabi Kolawole on August 4, has been arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, August 18.

“He confessed that he was responsible for the concealment and packaging of the cannabis inside the black native soap used as a mode of concealment. He also admitted this was his second attempt at sending such illicit substances to his daughter, Barakat, in Dubai.”

Babafemi also said over 2.3 million tablets of illicit pharmaceutical opioids and other psychoactive substances meant for distribution in seven Northern States of Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Gombe and Nasarawa, were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives in the past week.

He said, “In all, a total of Two Million Three Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Five Hundred and Fifty-Three (2, 325, 553.00) tablets and capsules of Tramadol, Pregabalin, Hypnox, Diazepam and Exol-5 including 7, 353 bottles of a new psychoactive substance locally called Akuskura meant for the seven states were seized from locations across Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and the FCT.

“In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Umar Sanusi, was arrested on Friday, August 12, during a follow-up operation in Kano and brought back to Kaduna where his consignment of 50 cartons of pregabalin 300mg, containing 750,000 capsules, weighing 375kgs earlier seized along Abuja-Kaduna expressway was counted and weighed in his presence.