The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized at least 156,575 tramadol pills and other illicit drugs in five states and the FCT in the last two weeks.

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, listed the states as Enugu, Anambra, Ondo, Lagos, and Ogun.

He stated that at least 156,380 pieces of the pills were seized from two suspects: Abdulrazak Bala and Lawal Salisu.

Mr Babafemi added that the two suspected drug paddlers were arrested on Gwagwalada-Abaji Highway in the FCT on Saturday, July 29.

He stated that NDLEA operatives also uncovered a “skuchies’’ factory in Sagamu, Ogun, where one Femi Isiaka was arrested on Thursday, July 26.

“Recovered from the factory were 37kg of Indian hemp, 195 tramadol pills, 5,000 tablets of Diazepam and 216 tablets of Rophynol.

“Also recovered were 204 litres of “skuchies’’, four fridges, four gas cylinders and one industrial cooker.

“At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a container load of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, linked to a 30-year-old businessman, Stephen Eze, was seized on Tuesday, July 25,’’ Mr Babafemi stated.

He said operatives had seized two containers of laughing gas from China at the port on July 13.

“The third shipment was intercepted during a joint examination of the container marked SUDU7431605 containing 8,336 canisters of Nitrous Oxide and pressure release nozzles,’’ Mr Babafemi added.

He also stated that two suspects, Francis Diamond,26, and Adekunle Damilola,26, were arrested in Ita-Ogbolu Forest in Ondo State while possessing 247.5kg of Indian hemp.

The NDLEA spokesman added that a Volkswagen Golf car, also conveying 308kg of Indian hemp, was intercepted at Airport Junction on Akure-Ogbese Road on Wednesday, July 26, and a suspect, Farouk Umar (38), was arrested.

“A 32-year-old suspect, Chukwuma Nnaji, was arrested with 47kg of “Skunk’’ in a warehouse at Onuogba Eke in Ishielu Local Government Area of Enugu State on Saturday, July 29.

“Twelve kilogrammes of the same substance was also recovered from a lockup shop during the raid,” he said.

Also, Mr Babafemi said operatives also arrested a grandpa, Boniface Ogwurlobi and one Chimezie Onyenjuru in Uli, Anambra, with 49.415kg of Indian hemp, 15g of cocaine, 127.7 grams of methamphetamine on July 28.

“Men of the 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army also transferred three suspects: Olasande Olutosin, Oleh Chiagozie and Obamuro Baiyeri, arrested with 2,608.3kg of Indian hemp, to the NDLEA.

“They equally intercepted the truck conveying the substance to the Lagos State Command of the NDLEA on Tuesday, July 25,’’ Mr Babafemi stated.

(NAN)