NDLEA intercepts 1.7million opioid pills in noodles at Lagos airport, Gombe

By Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted not less than 1,760,460 pills of tramadol and other opioids hidden in packs of Indomie noodles packs and other packs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos as well as in Gombe state.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi also disclosed that over 600,000 pills of tramadol 225mg coming from Karachi, Pakistan in two separate shipments on Ethiopian Airlines flights were intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport last Monday and Tuesday; noting that 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 last Wednesday.

He said a female freight agent, Olaleye Adeola has already been arrested in connection with the noodles consignment.

Babafemi also said a trader at Balogun market on Lagos Island, Akunne Tochukwu last Tuesday was arrested in collaboration with the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Lagos over his attempt to export a tramadol consignment to Dubai, UAE, adding that the consignment was seized at the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives on 25th November while a market labourer, Oke Ronke whose services were requested to convey the drug for export had earlier been arrested.

He revealed that NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Sunday 11th December intercepted a truck and a bus conveying 113 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 4,802.84 kilogrammes around the VGC estate area of Ajah while three suspects: Taofeek Yusuf; Ifeanyi Okorie and Israel Nwachukwu were arrested in connection with the seizures.

He said in Gombe state, a total of 1,154,500 pills of tramadol, Rohypnol and Exol being transported from Onitsha, Anambra state to Gombe by a truck driver, Umar Hassan, 28, were seized lastvThursday at Bye pass area of Gombe by a team of NDLEA officers following credible intelligence.

Babafemi said also acting on intelligence, operatives in Edo state last Friday intercepted a Honda Ridgeline pick-up vehicle with Registration Number BWR 699 CV loaded with 29 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 319 kilogrammes, while the driver of the vehicle, Alfred Vratombo, 32, was arrested with fake police uniforms, which he was using to deceive security men on the road.

The NDLEA Spokesman said attempt by a drug dealer, Chucks Kalu, 29, to smuggle into Kano 26 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa concealed inside packs of blenders was thwarted by operatives who intercepted the consignment along Abuja-Kaduna express road and later arrested him in a follow up operation in Kano, just as another suspect, Rabilu Abubakar,42, was also arrested in a follow up operation in Kano, following the seizure of his consignment 1,980 bottles of cough syrup with codeine, concealed inside cartons, were seized along Abuja-Kaduna express road.

In Bauchi state, operatives last Saturday arrested Muhammed Ahmed, 40, with 288 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 244.5 kilogrammes in Darazo area of the state, while in Delta state, NDLEA officers stormed the home of alleged drug kingpin, Okrika Ozioma, at Usiefurum town, Ughelli South local government area, where an underground drug bunk was uncovered in a three-bedroom bungalow building owned by the suspect who is now on the run. He noted that 17.6 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa were recovered from the bunk in addition to a 2003 Silver Golf car with registration number Lagos KJA 572 AZ used for the distribution of drugs within and outside Warri.

In Oyo state, a suspect, Yusuf Ayinde, 40, was arrested with 50.4 kilogrammes cannabis in his residence at Idi-Ose via Amuloko, Ona-Ara local government area last Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Gombe, Edo, Delta, Kaduna and Oyo state commands for their commitment and vigilance leading to the arrests and seizures of the past week, urged them and their compatriots across other formations to continue to surpass their past records of achievements.

NDLEA intercepts 1.7million opioid pills in noodles at Lagos airport, Gombe