NDLEA intercepts 1.7m Tramadol in noodles at Lagos airport, Gombe

No fewer than 1.7 million pills of Tramadol and other opioids hidden in indomie noodles packs have been intercepted by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, and in Gombe State.

While over 600,000 pills of Tramadol 225mg coming from Karachi, Pakistan in two separate shipments on Ethiopian Airlines flights were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Monday and Tuesday, 5,960 pills of Rohypnol concealed in 60 packs of indomie noodles going to Johannesburg, South Africa were also seized at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Wednesday.

The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this via a statement made available to The Star on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that a female freight agent, Olaleye Adeola, has already been arrested in connection with the noodles consignment.

He stated that 1,154,500 pills of Tramadol, Rohypnol, and Exol being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State to Gombe State by a 28-year-old truck driver, Umar Hassan, were seized on Thursday at Bye pass area of Gombe NDLEA officers following credible intelligence.

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The NDLEA spokesperson said a trader at Balogun market in Lagos Island, Akunne Chibuzor Tochukwu, was also arrested on Tuesday in collaboration with the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Lagos over his attempt to export a Tramadol consignment to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Babafemi disclosed that the consignment was seized at the Lagos airport by the operatives of the anti-drug agency on November 25, adding that a market labourer, Oke Abosede Ronke whose services were requested to convey the drug for export had earlier been arrested.

Commending the officers for their commitment and vigilance leading to the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), urged them and their compatriots across other formations to continue to surpass their past records of achievements.

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The Star