NDLEA Intercepts N1.4bn Worth of Tramadol at Lagos Port

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted drugs with cost put at about N1.4 billion at the Apapa port.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said no fewer than 2,750,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 1,650 kilogrammes worth N1, 375, 000,000 was intercepted at the nation’s major port in Apapa, Lagos.

According to him, the consignment was packed in 55 cartons of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol types of tramadol and was seized during examination of a container number SUDU 7538656 last Saturday following credible intelligence.

Babafemi recalled that this latest seizure came on the heels of similar efforts by anti-narcotic officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja that thwarted bids by drug traffickers to export various psychoactive substances to London, UK and Dubai, UAE through the Lagos airport in the past week, noting that at least, five suspects have so far been arrested in connection to the attempts.

He said last Monday, a Dubai bound passenger Ms. Ebhodaghei Osenemeshen was intercepted during the outward clearance of travellers on Rwanda Air via Kigali to Dubai, and discovered in her luggage were sachets of tramadol 225mg concealed inside gari, a cassava product packed among other foodstuffs.

Babafemi said the woman however claimed that the bag was given to her by someone who she passed the night in his house before coming to the airport to help deliver to another person in Dubai.

He said the following day, last Tuesday, a total of 50 blocks of cannabis sativa with a total weight of 27.1 kilogrammes concealed inside large quantity of crayfish going to London, UK as part of a consolidated cargo were seized at the SAHCO export shed.

Also, the same day, a Dubai bound female passenger, Emebradu Rachael, was arrested with 1.8 kilogrammes cannabis packed inside bitter leaf in her luggage while attempting to board Rwanda Air flight to UAE via Kigali. The mother of one said she was into selling of men’s wears before she decided to travel to Dubai to expand her clothing business.

She also claimed her ex-boyfriend that lives in Dubai, requested her to bring the bag, which contains the illicit substance along with foodstuff.

In the same vein, operatives at the NAHCO import shed of the airport on Saturday evacuated cartons of khat leaf with a total weight of 51.50 kilogrammes.

According to the spokesman, the consignment had earlier come in from Sierra Leone on Royal Air Moroc flight.

Across the country, in IAdamawa state, four notorious drug dealers in Konkol and Belel, two villages at Nigeria – Cameroon border have been arrested for exporting and retailing Tramadol and importing Diazepam into the country. The suspects include: Kabiru Ahmadu; Eric Emil; Abdulmumini Bapetel and Alphonsus Yusuf.

A total of 59.018 kilogrammes tramadol, diazepam, Exol-5, cannabis sativa and two jerry cans of formalin substance (Suck & Die) were recovered from them.

In Kebbi, no less than 4,010 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized last Friday when a commercial vehicle with registration number Sokoto RBA 220 XA was intercepted along Yawuri – Kebbi road and two suspects: Muktar Yunusa, 26 and Lukman Aliyu, 30, arrested.

Similarly, a raid operation in Oko-Olowo area of Ilorin last Tuesday led to the arrest of Onaolapo Zakariyau, 50, with 79 kilogrammes cannabis sativa.

In Abuja, no fewer than 90 blocks of cannabis (48.2 kilogrammes) and 700 grammes of methamphetamine were intercepted at the Jabi motor park while a suspect has been arrested in connection with the drug exhibits, and in Kano, 51 suspects were arrested in a raid at Sky restaurant in Nasarawa area of the state last Friday. The suspects were caught with various quantities of cannabis and codeine based cough syrup.

Meanwhile, in his reaction to the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of Apapa seaport, MMIA, Adamawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kano, and FCT Commands for their vigilance and commitment.

He however urged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars but remain resolute in pursuit of the agency’s goal of ridding Nigeria of illicit substances.

Michael Olugbode

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