NDLEA seizes N16.6bn drugs at Lagos, Rivers seaports

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 26,250,000 pills of tramadol and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N16,683,800,000 in street value at the Tincan port in Lagos State and Port Harcourt port, Onne in Rivers State.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 27, 2024.

Babafemi revealed that the illicit drugs were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during a joint examination of watch-listed containers with the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port and Port Harcourt port between Tuesday, October 22, and Wednesday, October 23.

Babafemi listed other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers to include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne, respectively.

He stated that 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived at the Lagos port from Canada.

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The NDLEA spokesman disclosed that a 40-year-old suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, was arrested at the Ago Palace area of Okota in Lagos State in connection with the cannabis seizure.

Babafemi said a bribe of N10 million paid to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.

He noted that the NDLEA operatives also recovered 640kg of cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, and arrested a 27-year-old suspect, Austin Oruamen.

Babafemi disclosed that another 35-year-old suspect, Adereti Kazeem, was apprehended with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg in the Ile-Ife area of Osun State on Thursday, October 24.

He quoted the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), as saying that the anti-narcotic officers’ operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, were well appreciated.

The Star