Fourteen million, four hundred and eighty-one thousand, five hundred and nineteen pills of Tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over N13 billion have been recovered by operatives of Nigeria’s Anti-narcotic Agency, the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Lagos South West Nigeria.
The seizures according to a press statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Femi BabaFemi were made in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.
He said, the three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin on Sunday 29th October, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.
In a similar operation on Tuesday 31st October, NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where Twelve Million Seven Hundred Thousand (12, 700, 000) pills of tramadol were recovered.
In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and One Million Two Hundred and Ten Thousand (1, 210, 000) pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.
BabaFemi said, six suspects are already already in NDLEA custody.
“At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 29th October intercepted yet another 50 year old businessman, Nwokolo Ifeanyi Anthony
during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned. The result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.” BabaFemi said.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.
The NDLEA’S spokesperson noted that similar arrests and seizures were made in Osun, Edo and FCT Commands.
While commending the officers and men of the affected commands, for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain focused as the Agency expands its operations against drug cartels.
Meanwhile, the Commands and formations of the Agency continued their war against drug abuse, WADA and advocacy lectures across the country.
