Nigerian drug agency says there has been a reduction in trafficking via seaports.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday, said it arrested 19 suspects at seaports for drug-related offences between January and June 2012

The Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who said this in Lagos, said that the figure represents total arrests at all the seaports. He said that the figure is lower than that of the same period in 2011 when 22 suspects were arrested.

Mr. Ofoyeju  said the agency also seized 113.50 kg of heroin and 17.26 kg of cannabis at the ports in the first half of 2012.

According to him, the seizures are also lower than those made in the corresponding period in 2011, when 280.61 kg of cocaine was seized.

The spokesman said the effective security measures adopted by the agency led to the reduction in both arrests and seizures as the perpetrators have kept away from the seaports.

In May 2012, a large quantity of heroin worth N2.2 billion was intercepted by the agency in collaboration with British authorities at the Tin-Can Island Port. The illicit drugs, weighing about 113.50kg, were concealed in three moulding machines in a 20ft container imported from Islamabad, Pakistan.

The consignment was cleared from the Tin Can Port, but anti-narcotic operatives, working on intelligence, trailed the container to Okota, Lagos, where it was intercepted.

NAN