Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted opioids worth over N3.2 billion in separate operations at Apapa and Port Harcourt ports.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that at the Port Harcourt Port complex in Onne, Rivers, 3,000,000 pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg were intercepted.

He said the illicit drugs worth N2.1 billion in street value were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the agency based on intelligence.

The spokesman also said the seizure was made on Wednesday, May 14, during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) personnel, and other security agencies.

“In like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa Port on Tuesday, May 13, intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.

“During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment.

“This brings the total of drugs intercepted in both states to N3.2 billion, respectively,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Babafemi said NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Friday, May 16, intercepted 250 grams of cocaine at a courier company in Lagos.

He said the drugs, which were concealed in female headgear, were going to Australia.

Reacting, the NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of DOGI, PHIPC, and Apapa commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

Mr Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

(NAN)