The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 13,298,000 pills of opioids including Tramadol, Tramaking , Quick Action Tramadol at the Onne Port in Port Harcourt.
The anti -narcotic agency also said it also intercepted 338, 253 bottles of codeine based cough syrup in the same port.
According to the NDLEA, all the seizures at the Onne Port are worth over N9,017, 771,000 in street value.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi confirmed this in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said the opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India on Wednesday 2nd and Thursday, 3rd October 2024.
He said the containers were targeted by the NDLEA during a 100% joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders
The NDLEA in the statement said it also arrested a 41-year-old Canadian lady, Adrienne Munju, for importing large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a strong strain of synthetic cannabis into Nigeria.
Babafemi said the suspect was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja , Lagos, during the inward clearance of passengers on KLM airline flight from Canada at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd October 2024.
“During a joint examination of her three bags, Adrienne who was coming to Nigeria for the first time was found with 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms stuffed in two of her three bags.
” In her statement, she claimed she was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.
“She said she took the offer because she needed the money to pay for her ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.
” Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Thursday, 3rd October intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg.
“The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada.
“Though, the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus. A suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
” In Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday 3rd October intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra State to Jalingo.
“Large quantities of opioids : tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects ; Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested.
“Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on Wednesday 2nd October with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.
” In Lagos, a suspect Bolanle Ajenifuja was on Friday ,v4th October arrested at Afo – Media area of Ojo where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her, while three suspects: Ezekiel Akpele; Elijah Michael; and Goddard John, were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo States.
“Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered,” the statement explained.
Babafemi further said NDLEA formations across the country during the week under review also
their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities.
He said sensitization activities took them to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
According to him, activities undertook include ; WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Musawa, Katsina; students and teachers of Akanu Ibiam Memorial Seminary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; students and staff of Community High School, Ile Ogbo, Osun, and students of Dominion Secondary School, Okon, Akwa Ibom state, among others.
In his reaction to the seizures and arrests, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa was full of praises for officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, and Taraba Commands of the agency.
Marwa said their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
