Nigerian authorities intercepted nearly half a million amphetamine pills hidden in machinery coming into a Lagos port, an official said on Thursday.
The 451,807 captagon tablets were seized at the Apapa sea port in September, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Chairman Mohamed Marwa told reporters.
This was traced to have come from Lebanon,” Reuters quoted him as saying. “We have arrested one of those involved in the importation and he is helping us to trace all those involved.”
Marwa estimated the tablets were worth $11 million, or roughly 6 billion naira.
In April, Saudi Arabia announced a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, blaming an increase in drug smuggling.
Last December the Italian authorities revealed that about 15 tons of Captagon amphetamine had been seized. After researching its origin, it appeared that the Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah was behind it, reported the Italian Nova news agency on Dec 20, 20
Prosecutor explained that the financial value of the drug amounts to about one billion dollars.
The drugs were contained in three suspicious containers that included papers intended for industrial use and iron wheels.
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Asharq Al-Awsat/YL
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