The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N16.1 billion at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the seizures were made on Tuesday, September 17 and Friday, September 20, from three containers on the agency’s watchlist.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA had requested a joint examination of the shipment from the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

“The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of N13.7 billion while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2.4 billion, bringing the total value of the seizures to N16.1 billion.

“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday, September 17, while another container examined the same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons.

“The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday,” said Mr Babafemi.

In another development, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the agency on Friday arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Aremu Shojobi, with 14kg of cannabis at his home in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state.

Mr Babafemi said the octogenarian claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years.

“He further claimed he gets his supplies from the Benin Republic and sells to his customers from his residence between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. every day,” he said.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Wednesday, September 18, raided the two homes of a community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, Bashir Talba.

Mr Babafemi said 226kg of cannabis was recovered from his two wives and son.

“Though Alhaji Talba is currently at large, a search of his house in the Ashipa area of Seme Badagry led to the recovery of 93 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa(Indian hemp).

“The drugs, which was weighing 57.6kg, were recovered from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22.

“Another search of his house in the Aketegbo area of Seme Badagry led to the seizure of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6kg from his second wife, Hauwa Bashir, 42.

“No less than 720 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis(Indian hemp) weighing 390kg were also recovered from a Mitsubishi delivery van marked MUS 720 XH in the Ojo area of Lagos on Monday, September 16,” said Mr Babafemi.

Also, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, NDLEA operatives, on Sunday, September 15, arrested a 38-year-old drug mule, Okafor Anthony.

Mr Babafemi said Mr Anthony was nabbed while attempting to board a Qatar Airlines flight to Iran via Doha with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach.

“After three days in excretion observation, Okafor excreted the 76 pellets of the ingested cocaine weighing 1.267kg,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday, September 17, recovered 700,000 pills of exol-5 coming from Lagos for distribution in Kano and Kaduna.

Mr Babafemi said a suspect Udemefuna Chibuike, 23, was arrested by operatives on Friday, September 20, along the Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger state.

He said the suspect was in possession of 49,000 tablets of tramadol, 20,000 tablets of diazepam, 100 ampoules of tramadol injection and 50 bottles of cough syrup with codeine.

In another development, 451 blocks of cannabis(Indian hemp) weighing 213kg were intercepted along Azikiwe road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, September 18, by NDLEA officers.

The NDLEA operatives apprehended a suspect, Ogochukwu Paul, 33, conveying the consignment to a notorious drug haven in Borikiri.

“Operatives in Plateau State on Friday, September 20, arrested a wanted suspect, Jonathan Abuttur, 46, at Agingi- Rukuba road Bassa LGA in possession of 808kg of cannabis sativa(Indian hemp).

“The drugs were concealed in 68 bags of sugar and fertilizer while their counterparts in Kwara also nabbed Shaibu Musa with 28kg of the same psychoactive substance.

(NAN)