The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says the operatives intercepted 26,250,000 pills of tramadol and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Port Onne, Rivers state.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja said the drugs intercepted by operatives were worth N16.6 billion in street value.

He said they were recovered during a 100 per cent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies between Tuesday, October 22, and Wednesday, October 23.

“Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700 kg at Tincan and Onne, respectively.

“Fifty-six parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28 kg, were also recovered from a container that arrived at the Lagos port from Canada.

“A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10 million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said operatives also intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in the soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

He stated that the agency’s operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted the consignments.

Mr Babafemi said 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in the soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12.

He said an additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on Thursday, October 24.

Mr Babafemi said cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.

Meanwhile, Mr Babafemi said that not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection and 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets were also intercepted by NDLEA operatives.

He said the drugs were concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman and were intercepted at three courier firms.

“They were seized by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in Lagos on Thursday, October 2,” he said.

(NAN)