The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Sunday that it has successfully intercepted attempts by international criminal groups to inundate Nigerian communities with a variety of illegal drugs during the festive season.
This announcement comes after the agency’s operatives seized millions of 225mg tramadol pills, thousands of bottles of codeine syrup, and bags of Canadian Loud, all of which were being shipped into the country in anticipation of the Christmas celebrations.
Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson, stated, “At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, our officers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs and other stakeholders, managed to thwart the drug syndicates’ efforts to smuggle seven million five hundred thousand (7,500,000) pills of tramadol 225mg into the country via the NAHCO import shed of the airport.”
He further explained that the shipment, which was seized on Friday, December 22, arrived on a Turkish airline flight from Hamburg, Germany, with no indication of its country of manufacture or origin. This marked the first time such a shipment had been intercepted on this airline’s flight. The 7.5 million tramadol 225mg pills, labeled as tamol-x, were hidden in 100 large cartons weighing 7,150kg. The shipment arrived in the country on December 11 and was kept under surveillance until the following Friday. Initial tests confirmed the tablets contained tramadol hydrochloride.
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On December 20, the Lagos Command of the agency conducted a raid on two shops, identified as Chex Mat Global Link Limited, located at the Trade Fair complex in the Ojo area of Lagos. The raid resulted in the seizure of 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets, totaling 49,200 bottles of codeine syrup and 46,200 tablets of the same opioid.
The next day, December 21, NDLEA operatives searched a house in the Mushin area of Lagos, where they arrested a 70-year-old woman, Selifat Funke Cole, and her son, Babajide Ayorinde Cole, who were in possession of 117.900kg of cannabis sativa.
On the same day, a shipment of spare parts from Asaba, Delta State, destined for Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India, was intercepted at the cargo terminal of the Lagos airport. NDLEA sniffer dogs were used to inspect the spare parts and identify a specific shipment containing concealed illicit drugs. A subsequent physical examination confirmed the presence of 200 grams of cocaine.
In another operation, the Tincan Command of NDLEA seized at least 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 35kg. The drugs were found in a container marked BEAU 4993525, originating from Toronto via Montreal, Canada. The container held four used vehicles, including a 2006 Honda CRV, where bags of the psychoactive substance were hidden.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, NDLEA operatives intercepted a waybill consignment of 25,000 tramadol pills on December 18. On the same day, their colleagues in Anambra apprehended two suspects at the Onitsha head bridge. Ejiro Emmanuel was driving a bus, marked EFR 31 XB, carrying 61,100 tramadol capsules, 1,025 bottles of codeine, 1,350 rohypnol tablets, and 46 grams of a designer drug. Daniel Ogbiyoyo was caught in a bus, marked SAP 540 YK, transporting 55,950 tramadol capsules, 3,117 bottles of codeine, 1,530 swinol tablets, and 1,350 rohypnol tablets.
In a joint operation with the military on December 18, operatives in Delta State raided the home of a suspected drug lord, Chukwuma Steven Eneriku, located on Okanaro Street, Abbi Town, and seized bags of cannabis weighing 353kg.