NDLEA intercepts over 2.4million tramadol pills from Pakistan at Lagos airport
•Secures seven years imprisonment for Lagos notorious drug kingpin
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have foiled attempts by tramadol drug cartel to smuggle into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, over 2.4 million tablets of the pharmaceutical opioid in 225mg and 250mg, weighing 2,356 kilogrammes with an estimated street value of N1. 04 billion.
Spokesperson for the Agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said the seizure of the drug on Friday, October 7, came barely a week after about a 13.5million pills of the same opioid worth over N8.8billion were recovered by NDLEA operatives from one of the mansions of a drug baron in the highbrow residential estate, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lekki, Lagos.
He said following credible intelligence, the Agency had shown interest in the consignment of 52 cartons that came into Nigeria from Karachi, Pakistan with six different airway bills via Ethiopian Airline flight, comprising seven cartons of 250mg of a brand called tamaral and 45 cartons of 225mg, branded as tramaking.
“Soon after its arrival at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives called for a joint examination of the consignment with other stakeholders and after its information was confirmed by all, the 52 cartons of the seized substance, which are above the recommended threshold for medical use and banned in the country, were moved to the Agency’s facility.
“In the same vein, another bid to export through the airport 15 parcels of cannabis and 600 grammes of tramadol 225mg concealed in a sack of crayfish to Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) was equally thwarted by operatives who seized the consignment and subsequently arrested a freight agent, Osahor Alex Ekwueme, who presented it for export.
“Weeks after NDLEA operatives intercepted 5.20kgs of cannabis concealed in kegs of palm oil going to Dubai at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) export shed of the airport, the brain behind the consignment, Ifeanyi Egbuwaohia, has been arrested in Igando area of Lagos.
“Though Ifeanyi works as a technician at Computer Village, Ikeja, beneath his known business, he also works with a drug network in Dubai, where he sends illicit drugs for distribution.
“Few hours after his arrest, another consignment of 2.60kgs of the same substance sent by him for export to Dubai was also intercepted by operatives at the airport.
“Another consignment of 1.30kgs of cannabis concealed in reconstructed engine blocks going to Dubai have also been seized at the SAHCO export shed while two persons: Olatunji Kehinde Temiola and Osemojoye Femi Sunday have been arrested in connection to the bid,” Babafemi said.
In Kaduna State, a female drug dealer, Peace Ayuba, was on Friday, October 7, arrested at Kakau Gonin Gora with 78 bags of Cannabis sativa weighing 849.5kgs, while operatives in Sokoto State arrested Onyeka Owo, 28, with 443 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
MEANWHILE, Justice Yellin Dogoro of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has sentenced a notorious drug dealer in the Alaba Rago area of Ojo, Lagos, Alhaji Surajo Mohammed
to seven years imprisonment.
In his judgment delivered on Thursday, October 6, the judge, however, gave the convict an option of an N7million fine.
Mohammed, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives with 941.15kgs Cannabis sativa on Monday, December 20, 2021, and arraigned in court in charge number FHC/L/370c/2021.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Kaduna, Sokoto and Lagos Command for the feats, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast, resolute and unrelenting until the last gramme of illicit drugs is taken away from the streets of Nigeria.
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