Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (2,750,000) tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 1,650 kilograms and worth N1.375 Billion were intercepted at the Apapa Port, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The consignment, packed in 55 cartons of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol types of Tramadol, was seized during examination of a container, Number SUDU 7538656 on Saturday, following credible intelligence.
This was contained in a press release, issued today, by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi.
This followed similar efforts by anti-narcotic officers that thwarted bids by drug traffickers to export various psychoactive substances to London, UK and Dubai, UAE through the Lagos Airport in the past week.
The NDLEA Director of Media further disclosed that, at least, five suspects have so far been arrested in connection with all the attempts.
“On Monday, 25 July, a Dubai, UAE-bound passenger, Ms. Ebhodaghei Gloria Osenemeshen, was intercepted during the outward clearance of travellers on Rwanda Air, via Kigali to Dubai.
“Discovered in her luggage were sachets of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside gari, a cassava product packed among other foodstuffs.
“She however claimed that the bag was given to her by someone who she passed the night in his house before coming to the airport to help deliver to another person in Dubai.
“The following day, Tuesday, 26 July, a total of 50 blocks of cannabis sativa with a total weight of 27.1kg concealed inside large quantity of crayfish going to London, UK as part of a consolidated cargo were seized at the SAHCO Export Shed.
“Same day, a Dubai-bound female passenger, Emebradu Previous Rachael, was arrested with 1.8kg cannabis packed inside bitter leaf in her luggage while attempting to board Rwanda Air flight to UAE, via Kigali.
“The mother of one, who hails from Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, said she was into selling of mens wears before she decided to travel to Dubai to expand her clothing business.
“She claimed her ex-boyfriend that lives in Dubai, requested her to bring the bag, which contains the illicit substance along with foodstuff,” Babafemi stated in the release.
He also disclosed that, in the same vein, operatives at the NAHCO Import Shed of the airport, on Saturday, evacuated cartons of khat leaf with a total weight of 51.50kg and which had earlier come in from Sierra Leone on a Royal Air Moroc flight.
In Adamawa State, four notorious drug dealers in Konkol and Belel, two villages at Nigeria-Cameroon Border, have been arrested for exporting and retailing Tramadol and importing Diazepam into the country.
Babafemi stated that the four suspects include Kabiru Ahmadu; Eric Emil; Abdulmumini Bapetel and Alphonsus Yusuf.
“A total of 59.018kg Tramadol, Diazepam, Exol-5, Cannabis Sativa and two jerry cans of formalin substance (Suck & Die) were recovered from them,” he said.
“In Kebbi State, no less than 4,010 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized, last Friday, when a commercial vehicle with registration number Sokoto RBA 220 XA was intercepted along Yawuri – Kebbi Road. Two suspects, Muktar Yunusa (26) and Lukman Aliyu (30), arrested.
“Similarly, a raid operation in Oko-Olowo area of Ilorin, Kwara State, last Tuesday, led to the arrest of Onaolapo Zakariyau (50), with 79kg cannabis sativa.
“Also in Abuja, no fewer than 90 blocks of cannabis (48.2kg) and 700grams of methamphetamine were intercepted at the Jabi motor park while, at least, a suspect has been arrested in connection with the drug exhibits.
“And in Kano, 51 suspects were arrested in a raid at Sky restaurant in Nasarawa area of the state, last Friday. The suspects were caught with various quantities of cannabis and codeine based cough syrup,” Babafemi revealed in the press release.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of Apapa Seaport, MMIA, Adamawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kano and FCT commands for their vigilance and commitment.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars but remain resolute in pursuit of the agency’s goal of ridding Nigeria of illicit substances, Babafemi added.
