The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday said it has thwarted attempts by transnational criminal organisations to flood Nigerian communities with large quantities of assorted illicit drugs during the yuletide season.
Its operatives frustrated the attempt and intercepted millions of tramadol 225mg pills, thousands of codeine syrup bottles, and bags of Canadian Loud in consignments arriving the country ahead of the Christmas celebration.
The Director, Media, and Advocacy in NDLEA Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said no fewer than 7,500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg was intercepted by the NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja.
This, he said, was trafficked through the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) import shed of the airport and was intercepted by officers with the cooperation of men of the Nigeria Customs and other stakeholders.
According to Babafemi, the consignment, which was taken into custody on December 22, came onboard a Turkish airline with no country of manufacture or origin.
“Apart from being the first time such shipment would be seized on the airline’s flight, it was equally the first of such coming from Hamburg, Germany.
“The 7.5million tramadol 225mg pills were also specially designed and packaged as tamol-x concealed in 100 big cartons weighing 7,150kg, which arrived in the country on December11 and placed under surveillance until last Friday.
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In the same vein, operatives of the Lagos command of the agency on Wednesday December 20, conducted a search operation on two shops marked Chex Mat Global Link Limited at Trade Fair complex in Ojo area of Lagos.
Babafemi said that 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets were recovered.
He said the cartons contained 49, 200 bottles of codeine syrup and 46, 200 tablets of the same opioid.
“The following day, Thursday December 21, NDLEA operatives raided a house in Mushin area of Lagos where a 70-year-old grandma, Selifat Cole and her son, Babajide Cole were arrested with 117.900kg of cannabis sativa,” he said.
Also, the NDLEA’s sniffer dogs have uncovered cocaine in India-bound shipment at the cargo terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
According to Babafemi, a consignment of spare parts that originated from Asaba, Delta State and was going to Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India was intercepted.
He said the agency’s sniffer dogs were deployed to examine the spare parts and were able to identify the particular shipment containing illicit drug concealment. “A physical examination later confirmed to be cocaine measuring 200 grams,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, not less than 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of Indian hemp, with a gross weight of 35kg were seized by operatives of the Tincan Command of the NDLEA from a container, marked BEAU 4993525 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.
Babafemi said the container contained four used vehicles, including a Honda CRV 2006 model, where bags of the psychoactive substance were concealed.
“In the FCT Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday, Dec.ember 18, intercepted a waybill consignment of 25,000 pills of tramadol, while their counterparts in Anambra arrested two suspects at Onitsha head bridge.
“Ejiro Emmanuel was driving a bus marked EFR 31 XB conveying 61,100 tramadol capsules; 1, 025 bottles of codeine; 1,350 tablets of rohypnol and 46 grams of designer drugs.
“Daniel Ogbiyoyo was caught in a bus marked SAP 540 YK, conveying 55,950 tramadol capsules; 3,117 bottles of codeine; 1,530 tablets of swinol and 1,350 tablets of rohypnol, ” he said.
Also, Operatives in Delta State on December 18, in a joint operation with the military, raided the home of a drug kingpin, Chukwuma Eneriku at Okanaro street, Abbi town, where bags of cannabis weighing 353kg were recovered.
“Same day, NDLEA operatives in Enugu recovered bags of Indian hemp weighing 435.1kg in a warehouse located at Trans Ekulu, Enugu East local government area.
“In Edo State, five persons dressed in NDLEA operational jackets were arrested with a fabricated gun and pistol carved from wood following intelligence that they were impersonating as officers of the agency and conducting illegal operations.
“The suspects include: Sebastine Asekiamhe, 22; Raymond Otaru, 28; Emmanuel Wisdom, 23; Solomon Edogamhe, 27; and Bonaventure Oghibui, 22.
“Some others in NDLEA jackets escaped, a bottle of codeine-based syrup was found with those arrested,” he said.
