The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted at least 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup with a combined street value of over N3.4 billion in Rivers and Lagos States, respectively.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the bulk of the seizures, two million pills of tramadol 225mg and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrup, were made on Tuesday, April 29.

Mr Babafemi said this was during a joint examination of a watch-listed container by NDLEA officers, men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies at the Port Harcourt ports complex, Onne, Rivers State.

“In Lagos, a total of 1.5 million pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect Olarenwaju Wahab at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo on Tuesday, April 29.

“The source of the consignment was traced to Q104B Road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, which is the residence of one Obinna Kenneth, who is now at large,” he said.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 20kg.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs were concealed in tins of chocolate, milo beverage, white kidney beans and dark red kidney beans packaged.

He said this was part of cargo that came into the Lagos airport onboard a British Airways flight from Canada.

“At least three suspects, including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Lawson, have been arrested between Wednesday, April 30 and Saturday, May 3.

“In like manner, a businessman, Bobby Osas, was on Friday, May 2, arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy,” he said. 

Mr Babafemi said a thorough search of his luggage led to the seizure of 8,130 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg.

Also, NDLEA operatives frustrated an attempt by another syndicate to ship 104 grams of tramadol and skunk concealed in bottles of body cream to Iraq through a courier company in Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs were recovered on Monday, April 28, by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).

(NAN)