NDLEA foils attempt to smuggle opioids into Nigeria – Official

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled the attempt by an alleged trans-border trafficker to smuggle 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Ghana into Lagos.

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said that the interception came in another intelligence-led operation where officers of an NDLEA task force carried out the operation on Saturday.

He said that the pills were concealed in the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus belonging to GUO Transport Company, driven by the suspect.

He also said that the vehicle was intercepted at the Ijanikin area of the Lagos-Badagry expressway while coming from Ghana.

In another development, not less than 997kg of cannabis was recovered during raids in parts of Edo state in the past week.

Mr Babafemi said that 680kg of cannabis and a Sienna bus marked FST-320 AE were seized at a bush path to Oghada forest in Oghada, Orhionmwan LGA of the state.

He said that 180.5kg of the same substance was recovered from a suspect, Cecilia Ibe, 31, at Ofosu forest, Ovia South West LGA area of the state .

He added that 136.5kg of the same substance was evacuated from a building in the Otuo community, Owan East LGA in Edo on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a suspect, he said, was on Wednesday nabbed with 88.3kg cannabis by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Mr Babafemi said that personnel of Kano Command of the agency on Friday arrested a 30-year-old man at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano- Zaria road where they recovered 65,730 capsules of tramadol from him.

Also, in Kwara, he said NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect with 120.8kg of cannabis and some litres of codeine at Gaa Odota in Ilorin West LGA.

Mr Babafemi said a suspected 42-year-old drug peddler was nabbed with 75kg of cannabis at Eziobodo, Owerri West LGA, Imo State on Thursday, 14 November.

“A total of 563.74kg of same psychoactive substance were recovered from a 60-year-old suspect, following his arrest at Iyalode, Iyana church area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital,” he said

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of Oyo, Lagos, Imo, Kwara, Kano, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa stated that the agency’s operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country were well appreciated.

(NAN)