The National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested a drug dealer in Anambra State with 548,000 tablets of tramadol.
A press statement by the Director Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, Mr Femi Babafemi disclosed that the drug dealer, 44-year-old Okeke Chijioke’s “Arrest on Saturday 10th July 2021 followed credible intelligence and surveillance, as a preliminary investigation has established that tarkadol is a brand of tramadol that has just been introduced into the market to evade attention. The substance has also tested positive to amphetamine.”
The drug was equally “Labeled 100mg pain reliever on its packs to avoid scrutiny, while laboratory tests confirmed its a 225mg drug manufactured in India and smuggled into Nigeria without NAFDAC number or certification.”
During the search on the warehouse, “A double-barrel pump gun with 3 live cartridges, which licence expired since 2019, was also recovered,“ he said.
In another development, operatives of the Benue state command of the Agency “On-road patrol in Apir village on 14th July intercepted and seized 28,400 capsules of tramadol from one Dankawu Madaki, who hails from Misah Local Government in Bauchi state.”
Meanwhile, “A notorious interstate drug dealer, Godiya Linus, based in Taraba but supplies narcotics to dealers in Adamawa has been arrested in Numan area of the state.”
Godiya, an ex-convict, “Was in jail between 2012 and 2018 following his conviction on drug-related charges.”
According to the NDLEA; “A drug dealer, Mohammed Ali who was earlier arrested on 10th July with 1.150kg of diazepam in Numan has been rearrested as a result of follow up operation that led to the arrest of Godiya who supplied Ali.”
Investigations have since revealed that; “He was based in Mayolope village in Lau local government area of Taraba, from where he supplies Jambutu park in Yola and other parts of Numan, using an unregistered boxer motorcycle for distribution.”
Few days after Godiya’s arrest, “Another dealer, Emmanuel Ishiwu was nabbed with different quantities of tramadol, exol-5 and diazepam, totalling 6.103kg also in Numan on 14th July, followed by the arrest of Muhammadu Garba and Shaibu Haruna with 48.500kg of cannabis in Gurin area of the state on Friday, 16th July 2021.”
Commending the officers and men of the Anambra, Benue and Adamawa state Commands for sustaining the offensive action in the ongoing efforts to mop up illicit drugs from every community in all parts of Nigeria, the Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mohammed Buba Marwa charged them to remain unrelenting in the discharge of their duties.
PIAK