N3.4 billion worth of opioids seized in Lagos, PH as NDLEA uncovers drugs in chocolate tins

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted no fewer 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup with combined street value of over N3,428,000,000.00 in both Port Harcourt, Rivers state and Lagos state.

According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the bulk of the seizures: two million pills of tafrodol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, was made last Tuesday during a joint examination of a watch-listed container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state.

In Lagos, a total of 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect Olarenwaju Wahab at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo equally last Tuesday while the source of the consignment was traced to Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, which is the residence of one Obinna Kenneth who is now at large.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos have intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 20 kilogrammes, concealed in tins of chocolate, Milo beverage, white kidney beans and dark red kidney beans packaged as part of cargos that came into the Lagos airport onboard a British Airways flight from Canada, adding that at least, three suspects including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Lawson, have been arrested between last Wednesday and Saturday.

He said in like manner, a businessman Bobby Osas was last Friday arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. A thorough search of his luggage led to the seizure of 8,130 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg.

He stated by attempt by another syndicate to ship 104 grammes of tramadol and skunk concealed in bottles of body cream to Iraq through a courier company in Lagos was also thwarted last Monday by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).

Babafemi revealed that in Kaduna, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kaduna – Zaria expressway on Saturday intercepted a commercial vehicle coming from Nasarawa State heading to Zamfara State, noting that a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a 942 explosives concealed in a sack and the subsequent arrest of a 30-year-old suspect Nura Muhammad (alias Nura Hariji).

He said the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) has directed that the suspect and exhibits be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further action.

The spokesman said five members of a syndicate led by Aminu Musa (a.k.a Kadagi) were last Wednesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Dangoro market, Kano with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg recovered from them. In Edo state, operatives acting on intelligence last Thursday intercepted at Uromi, Esan North-East, a white Toyota bus conveying assorted opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state heading to Auchi.

He said recovered from the vehicle include: 314,020 pills of tramadol, rophynol, diazepam, exol5; 638 bottles of codeine syrup and 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, while a suspect Dare Adeyemo was taken into custody. A Mazda commercial bus marked XA343TSE was equally intercepted at Agu-Awka junction, Awka, Anambra state by NDLEA operatives on last Wednesday while a total of 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol and 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered and a suspect Chinedu Eneh arrested.

In Niger state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kontagora -Mokwa road on Saturday intercepted a Mitsubishi canter truck marked RBH 104 ZY. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 5,500 capsules of tramadol and 2,300 ampoules of pentazocine injection as well as the arrest of a suspect Yusuf Abubakar, 30.

He revealed that after 10 months of painstaking investigation, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 26th April arrested a wanted drug kingpin, the 52-year-old Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, Dominic Obijiaku over his involvement in the importation of a consignment of 2,616,060 pills of tramadol 225mg intercepted by NDLEA at Apapa seaport in Lagos on 28th July 2024.

He said a follow-up operation at his house in Lekki led to the seizure of 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grammes.

Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, Lagos, Kano, PHPC, Kaduna, Anambra, Edo, Niger and Apapa commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

N3.4 billion worth of opioids seized in Lagos, PH as NDLEA uncovers drugs in chocolate tins