NDLEA intercepts N6.5bn opioids in Lagos, Rivers

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted no fewer than six million pills of opioids and 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in Lagos and Rivers states respectively.

The intercepted items have a combined street value of N6.5 billion.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja named the opioids as tamol 225mg, tapentadol 225mg and carisoprodol 225mg.

Babafemi said that the drugs were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers and the Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

He said that the seizures at the Apapa and Onne ports followed intelligence and tracking of new trafficking routes to ship illicit substances into Nigeria.

This, he said, were by drug cartels, which necessitated the watch-listing of the containers for 100 percent examination.

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• NDLEA intercepts N6.5bn opioids in Lagos, Rivers

“The consignments at the Port Harcourt ports: six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered in two containers on Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20.

“This feat was achieved during a joint examination of the shipments by NDLEA officers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.

“At the Apapa port in Lagos, a total of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a watch-listed container by NDLEA operatives.

“This also happened during a similar joint examination exercise on Thursday, May 22,” he said.

In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on May 22, intercepted a Mercedes Benz car marked FST 938 FU loaded with 235 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97 kg and the arrest of a suspect, Adams Ayibakro.

“This is even as operatives in Lagos raided the Osapa London area of Lekki where they arrested a suspect, Jonathan Isa with different quantities of illicit drugs,” he said.

Babafemi named the items seized as Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Molly, Rohypnol, Codeine, Cannabis and Nitrous Oxide among others.

“Another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki on Saturday, May 24, led to the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and seizure of 48kg skunk.

“The War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

“Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Adamu Babbale Government Secondary School, Dimirkol, Katsina; Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, Akwa Ibom; Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

“Others are Government Secondary School, Guyuk, Adamawa; and Government Girls Islamic Secondary School, Gwagwarwa, Kano while Lagos State command of NDLEA paid WADA advocacy visit to the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Muhammadu Bambado, among others,” he said.