NDLEA has intercepted 1.8 million tramadol and other narcotic pills in Lagos and Gombe states.
Its spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that some of the drugs seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja and parts of Gombe State were hidden in noodles packs.
He added that more than 600,000 pills of 225 mg tramadol brought in from Karachi, Pakistan in two separate shipments on Ethiopian Airlines flights were also intercepted.
The drugs from Karachi were seized at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc. (SAHCO) import shed at the Lagos airport on Monday Dec. 12 and Tuesday Dec. 13
Babafemi added that 5,960 pills of Rohypnol concealed in 60 packs of noodles going to Johannesburg, were also seized at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Wednesday Dec. 14.
“A female freight agent, Olaleye Adeola has already been arrested in connection with the noodles consignment.
“In Gombe State, 1,154,500 pills of tramadol, Rohypnol and Exol being transported from Onitsha in Anambra to Gombe by a truck driver, Umar Hassan, 28, were seized.
“The drugs were intercepted on Thursday, Dec. 15 at a bye pass area of Gombe,’’ he stated.
In a related development, a trader at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, Chibuzor Akunne was arrested over his attempt to export a tramadol consignment to Dubai, UAE.
Babafemi stated that the consignment was seized at the Lagos airport on Nov. 25 in collaboration with the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Lagos.
He added that a market labourer, Oke Abosede whose services were requested to convey the drugs for export was earlier arrested.
Also, The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had seized 5,460.34kgs of skunk in Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Kaduna, Oyo and Delta states.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Dec. 11 intercepted a truck and a bus conveying 113 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa.
He said that the seized substances which weighed 4,802.84 kilograms were intercepted around the Victoria Garden City (VGC) estate area of Ajah.
He also said that three suspects: Taofeek Yusuf; Ifeanyi Okorie and Israel Nwachukwu were arrested in connection with the seizures.
Also, acting on intelligence, operatives in Edo on Friday intercepted a Honda Ridgeline pick-up vehicle with Reg. No BWR 699 CV loaded with 29 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 319kgs.
Babafemi said that 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.
Again, attempt by a drug dealer, Chucks Kalu, 29, to smuggle into Kano 26kgs of cannabis concealed inside packs of blenders was thwarted by operatives who intercepted the consignment along Abuja-Kaduna express road.
Babafemi said that the suspect was later arrested in a follow up operation in Kano, just as another suspect, Sa’ad Abubakar,42, was also arrested in a follow up operation in Kano.
This, he said, followed the seizure of his consignment 1,980 bottles of cough syrup with codeine concealed inside cartons and were seized along Abuja-Kaduna express road.
“In Bauchi state, operatives on Saturday arrested Muhammed Ahmed, 40, with 288 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 244.5Kgs in Darazo area of the state.
“In Delta, NDLEA officers stormed the home of a drug kingpin, Ozioma Okrika at Usiefurum town, Ughelli South LGA, where an underground drug bunk was uncovered in a three-bedroom bungalow owned by the suspect who is now at large.
“17.6kgs 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, “he said.
The NDLEA spokesman said that a suspect, Yusuf Ayinde, 40, was arrested with 50.4kgs of cannabis in his residence at Idi-Ose via Amuloko, Ona-Ara LGA in Oyo state, on Saturday
