NDLEA recovers N6.9bn tramadol, makes arrests

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) have intercepted uncovered 8,725 kilograms of powdered tramadol worth over N6.98 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.

The agency also seized large quantities of illicit drugs across NDLEA intercepts Saudi-Bound drugs hidden in palm oil keg at at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), commended officers of various commands for the operations

Marwa, through the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement.

It explained officers at Kano airport on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, with a gallon of palm oil containing 511.75 grams of skunk during outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.

She told operatives the keg was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was arrested at the airport car park.

At APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos, operatives in a joint examination with Customs on October 2 uncovered a large shipment of powdered tramadol from India declared as maize starch. Laboratory test confirmed it to be tramadol hydrochloride powder. When separated from concealment on October 14, it came to 349 bags weighing 8,725kg with street value of over N6.98 billion.

In a separate operation at Tincan Port on October 12, NDLEA officers discovered 55kg of Canadian Loud worth N165 million hidden in brown cartons inside a Toyota Sienna conveyed in a 40-foot container.

In Lagos, operatives raided Idumota market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.

On October 15, two men were arrested in Mushin – Idowu Daudu with 59.95kg of skunk and Ahmed Oniyinde with 61.23kg. Same day, operatives intercepted a truck from Trade Fair market along Iyana Oba, arresting loading manager Tajudeen Adeduntan and his assistant Azeez Sikiru, and recovering 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.

In Edo State, operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East LGA between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects including 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka with 179kg of skunk at Warake; Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8kg; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; Habib Braimoh, 45; Musa Mubid, 35, with 2kg cannabis, seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grams of Loud.

In Ondo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest on October 17, destroying 7,500kg skunk on three hectares and arresting five suspects – Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35. Exhibits recovered were 92 bags weighing 1,267kg, 11kg seeds and 3kg stems. In Owo on October 16, 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi was arrested with 25 bags weighing 375kg.

In Bauchi, 894,800 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered from Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village, Katagum LGA on October 14, while 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg were recovered from an abandoned car along Bauchi-Gombe road.

In Kano, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along Zaria-Kano road on October 13 with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg, while Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato on October 14 with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna, operatives arrested Mohammed Sani, 48, Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29, and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5kg cannabis at Kayimi village, and John Ayo David, 39, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road. In Abuja, Odo Jonas Ejike, 42, was arrested at Utako on October 17 with 29,500 capsules of tramadol.