The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted no fewer than 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup containing 319,200 bottles of the opioid.

The seized drugs are worth over N2.2 billion in street value.

NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced the seizure on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport in Lagos on Friday intercepted two containers which came from Mundra port in India.

He said that the operatives recovered the drugs from the containers during a joint examination with other port stakeholders.

Meanwhile, operatives of a special operations unit in NDLEA have also arrested five cross-border female drug traffickers at the Seme border while on their way back to Lagos from Ghana.

Mr Babafemi said that the 42-year-old leader of the syndicate had been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested on Aug. 21 along with other members of her gang.

“At the point of their arrest at the Seme border, a total of 14 packs of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing a total of 6.97kg, were recovered from hidden parts of their bodies,” he said.

In the same vein, two ladies were arrested by operatives in Edo state for online sales of illicit drugs.

Mr Babafemi said that a 26-year-old lady was nabbed at Kada Plaza, Benin, with quantities of Canadian ‘loud’.

He said another 21-year-old was arrested at Ugbowo area of the city with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illicit substances.

Mr Babafemi also said a raid at Oghada village in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of the state on Aug. 20 led to the arrest of a 50-year-old with 288.8kg of cannabis.

(NAN)