NDLEA intercepts N9bn worth of Opioids in Rivers
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), operatives have intercepted 13.298 million pills of Opioids, including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, as well as 338,253, bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, at the Port Harcourt Ports, Onne in Rivers State.
A statement by Femi Babafemi, Spokesman of NDLEA said the drugs were worth over N9.017 billion in street value.
“The opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India, targeted by the NDLEA during a 100 per cent joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on October 3 and 4, 2024.
“Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on October 3, intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg.
“The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada.
“Though the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu, Lagos, but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu, where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus.
“A suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
“Similarly, Babafemi said a 41 year old Canadian lady, Adrienne Munju has been arrested by operatives of NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos, for importing large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis.
“The suspect was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on KLM airline flight from Canada at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on October 3, 2024.
“During a joint examination of her three bags, Adrienne, who was coming to Nigeria for the first time was found with 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms stuffed in two of her three bags.
“In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.
“She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.
In Taraba, NDLEA officers on October 3, intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra State to Jalingo.
“Large quantities of opioids: tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects: Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested.
“Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on October 2, with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.
“In Lagos, a suspect Bolanle Ajenifuja was on October 4, arrested at Afo – Media area of Ojo, where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her.
“Three suspects: Ezekiel Akpele; Elijah Michael; and Goddard John, were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo states.
“Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered.” (Vanguard)