The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted N9 billion worth of opioids in Rivers State following a recent raid.
The NDLEA confirmed the successful operation on Sunday morning in a statement on its official X account signed by spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
“NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports, Onne, Rivers State have intercepted 13,298,000 pills of opioids including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol and Carisoprodol as well as 338,253 bottles of codeine based cough syrup all worth N9b in street value,” Babafemi said.
“The opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India targeted by the NDLEA during a 100% joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday, 2nd and Thursday, 3rd October, 2024.”
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Thursday, 3rd October intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg.
The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada.
Though, the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus.
The suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
In Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 3rd October intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Jalingo.
Large quantities of opioids: tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested.
Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on Wednesday, 2nd October with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.
In Lagos, a suspect, Bolanle Ajenifuja was on Friday, 4th October arrested at Afro – Media area of Ojo where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her.
Mesn, three suspects namely Ezekiel Akpele;, Elijah Michael and Goddard John were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo States.
Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered.
With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Musawa, Katsina; students and teachers of Akanu Ibiam Memorial Seminary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; students and staff of Community High School, Ile Ogbo, Osun and students of Dominion Secondary School, Okon, Akwa Ibom state among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
