Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and three courier companies in the State.
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the seizures in a statement he issued yesterday.
Babafemi said a total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, 2024, and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on October 24. A 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.
Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation in Lagos, on October 24.
In the same vein, a total of 26.25 million pills of tramadol as well as 508,400 bottles of codeine based syrup, worth N16.683,800 billion in street value, were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during a 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos State and Port-Harcourt Port, Onne, Rivers State between on October 22 and 23, 2024.
The NDLEA said with the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week.
Commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Tin-Can, PHPC, FCT, Lagos, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), stated that 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.
