NDLEA Intercepts Tramadol, Meth Shipments To Italy, New Zealand; Arrests Multiple Suspects Across Nigeria
NDLEA Intercepts Tramadol, Meth Shipments To Italy, New Zealand; Arrests Multiple Suspects Across Nigeria
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said at that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officials intercepted two separate consignments bound for Italy, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled multiple attempts by drug trafficking networks to smuggle illicit substances to Europe and other destinations, arresting several suspects and seizing large consignments of opioids and other drugs across the country.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said at that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officials intercepted two separate consignments bound for Italy, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
One of the suspects, Friday Ehianuka, 37, was apprehended on March 20 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome.
He was found with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed inside containers of skin-lightening body cream packed in his luggage.
Ehianuka, who resides in Milan, Italy, reportedly told investigators he was promised payment in euros upon successful delivery of the drugs
In a similar operation on March 18, NDLEA operatives at the airport’s departure hall arrested another Italy-bound passenger, Christian Agbonhese, 38, who was heading to Milan via a Lufthansa Airlines flight.
A search of his luggage uncovered 28,470 pills of opioids, including 23,150 tramadol 225mg tablets, 4,000 tapentadol 250mg tablets, and 1,320 tramadol 100mg pills, all concealed in two large winter jackets.
At a Lagos-based courier firm, officers intercepted parcels containing one kilogram of a potent strain of cannabis known as “Loud,” shipped from the United States. Another shipment containing 158 grams of methamphetamine hidden within the walls of a carton destined for New Zealand was also seized.
Across the country, NDLEA operatives carried out additional raids and arrests.
In Kano State, two suspects—Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, and Uche Johnson Festus, 47—were arrested on March 18 with a combined 198 kilograms of skunk at Dan-Tsalle and Naibawa Gabas areas.
In Lagos, a raid at Otto in the Ijora area led to the recovery of 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup, while two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge with 8,380 bottles of the same substance.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of a suspect, Akeem Idde, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, in Abuja, a commercial bus was intercepted along the Gwagwalada expressway, where 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments were discovered. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers arrested Bankole Bari on March 17 at Oke-Oyan in Ibarapa Local Government Area with 71.2kg of skunk allegedly smuggled from the Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
Further seizures were recorded in Kaduna and Taraba states. Along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, operatives recovered 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a suspect, Lawal Anas, 28, while another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, 22, was arrested with 7,290 tramadol tablets at the same location.
In Taraba, a suspect, Aliyu Adamu, 26, was intercepted along the Takum-Jalingo highway with 77,660 tramadol capsules allegedly bound for Gombe State.
In Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola. Those arrested include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
Babafemi said the arrests and seizures were part of ongoing nationwide efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb the spread of illicit substances.
The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations at airports, highways, and other critical points to combat drug-related crimes.
