The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized opioids valued at over N17.9 billion in two separate operations carried out at the Tincan Port in Lagos and the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State. The agency revealed that the massive haul of illicit substances was cleverly concealed in containers declared as holding legitimate items such as chocolate tins and cosmetics.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the seizures were the result of coordinated intelligence gathering and surveillance conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The operation led to the interception of multiple containers loaded with tramadol pills and codeine-based syrup, both of which are classified as controlled substances in Nigeria.
At the Tincan Port, Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered two containers holding a total of 350,000 bottles of codeine syrup. Each container was packed with 175,000 bottles, ingeniously hidden to avoid detection. Meanwhile, at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, the agency intercepted three containers containing 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup, alongside 447 cartons of tramadol 225mg, amounting to 29.84 million pills.
Further examination of the shipments revealed 3,030 cartons of codeine syrup containing an additional 554,600 bottles. The cumulative total of seized codeine syrup stood at 1,284,600 bottles, with an estimated value of N8.992 billion. The 29.84 million tramadol pills, found to be branded under names such as Royal Tapentadol, Carisoprodol 225mg, and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg, were valued at N8.94 billion.
The total estimated street value of the seized drugs is N17.932 billion, marking one of the largest anti-narcotics operations in Nigeria this year.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt International Airport arrested one Eze Don, who was attempting to smuggle 1,490 pills of tramadol hidden among cosmetic items in his luggage. He was reportedly en route to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, and attempted to bribe the officers at the airport before being taken into custody.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.), commended the operatives for their diligence and reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks across the country. He assured Nigerians that the NDLEA will continue to work tirelessly to rid the nation of illicit substances and protect future generations from the scourge of drug abuse.
