Lagos: The recent interception of 175,000 bottles of opioids imported from India by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) comes shortly after the seizure of a similar shipment at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers State. The agency revealed that the seizures were a result of prior intelligence leading to a 100 percent examination request for the shipments.
In a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, it was disclosed that 875 cartons of codeine, weighing 26,250 kg, were seized during a joint examination conducted by NDLEA, Customs Service, and other security agencies. The container, marked HASU 4787890 from India, was en route to the C to C bonded terminal in Enugu.
Additionally, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of illicit drugs hidden in women’s clothes and synthetic hair that were destined for the United States and the United Kingdom. The seized drugs included 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine, and other opioids, found at a courier firm in Lagos.
In a separate incident, NDLEA operatives in Kebbi State arrested a 32-year-old Nigerien, Hassan Mummuni, who was found with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.25 kg of cannabis concealed in four pesticide tanks along the Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi road.
On the same day, in Gombe State, Ibrahim Abubakar (also known as Alhajiji) was apprehended with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam in Herwagana.
Furthermore, a suspect named Onyekachi ThankGod Iwula, 42, was found with 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup upon arrest on a commercial bus in Benue State.
Other arrests included a 20-year-old lady in Bauchi State, Hasana Usman, with 25 blocks of cannabis sativa, and Ali Mohammed, 42, in Yobe State, caught with 19,000 pills of tramadol 225 mg concealed in a black sack and traveling bag.
Additionally, Oladimeji Samson, 57, was apprehended in Oyo State with 79 blocks of cannabis sativa and 48 grams of ecstasy hidden in the engine compartment of a bus on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Several more suspects were arrested across different states with various illicit substances, including tramadol, opioids, cannabis sativa, and codeine syrup.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the efforts of officers and men across various commands and departments for the successful arrests and seizures. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the momentum and dedication in combating drug trafficking.
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