The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) have seized 9.5 million tablets of pharmaceutical opioids: Tramadol and Exol 5 worth over N5 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Edo State.
Of the figure, 214 cartons of Tramadol 225 under 10 different brand names, which translate to 9, 219, 400 tablets weighing 6, 384.5kg, with an estimated street value of N4, 609, 700, 000 were transferred on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, alongside 85 cartons of dried Khat leaves with a total weight of 1, 327.35kg by the Nigerian Customs to the NDLEA.
This was disclosed via a statement issued and made available to The Star on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi stated that about 228,740 tablets and capsules of Tramadol and Exol 5 were intercepted on Friday, April 1 at the Abaji area of Abuja.
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He noted that the truck conveying the drugs was loaded in Lagos heading to Kano, adding that the truck driver escaped into the bush during the search of the vehicle, while two of his assistants, Usman Abdulmumini, 23 and Aminu Ahmad, 22, were arrested.
The NDLEA spokesman stated that in another raid in Okada town, Edo State, a patent medicine dealer, Harrison Odion was arrested with 70 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, 9,638 Tramadol capsules, 16,843 tablets of Exol-5, 80 tablets of Diazepam and 62 ampules of Diazepam injection.
The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), while commending the working relationship between anti-narcotic agency and other security agencies in the country, charged the anti-drug officers not to rest on their oars.
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