Officers of the special operation unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Aba have discovered a cartel controlled by three suspected drug barons.

The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, announced this on Sunday in Abuja.

The agency said the suspects were arrested, and the warehouses linked to the drugs were “taken down”.

The agency said further that substances suspected to be cocaine and methamphetamine in consignments were seized.

It said the drugs could be worth more than N4.1 billion in street value.

Mr Babafemi said the special operation was conducted between June 13 and 14 at Boundary Avenue and a residence on Ohia Road in Aba.

“Months of intelligence gathering led to the arrest of the leaders and the seizure of 20.76 kg of cocaine and methamphetamine from them,” he said.

He also said the operatives of the agency in Lagos State uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of a substance suspected to be codeine-based syrup located in Kirikiri.

Mr Babafemi said four persons were suspected to be connected with the importation and distribution of the substance.

He said they were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility.

“No fewer than 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value were recovered from them.

“Also, a truck and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the premises on June 10,” he said.

(NAN)