The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 8,725kg of tramadol powder worth over ₦6.98 billion at Apapa Port, Lagos.
Disclosing this on Sunday, spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said operatives also seized cannabis, opioids and other illicit drugs in coordinated operations across several states, arresting dozens of suspects, including an 85-year-old woman.
At Apapa Port, operatives discovered the tramadol hydrochloride powder, imported from India and falsely declared as maize starch, in 349 bags. At Tincan Port, Lagos, they also seized 55kg of Canadian Loud worth ₦165 million, concealed inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle in a 40-foot container.
At the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, officers intercepted 511.75g of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil carried by a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, travelling to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, through Addis Ababa. Her cousin, identified as the person who gave her the consignment, was subsequently arrested. In Lagos, operatives recovered 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection, 6,500 Molly tablets, 121.18kg of skunk and 18,000 tramadol pills in separate operations, arresting several suspects.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested six suspects and seized cannabis and other substances, including 179kg of skunk from 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka and 220.8kg from another suspect. In Ondo State, officers destroyed 7,500kg of skunk cultivated on three hectares of farmland and recovered another 1,281kg of cannabis-related exhibits, arresting five suspects. They also seized 375kg of cannabis from a suspect in Owo.
In Bauchi State, officers intercepted 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets from a suspect and recovered 265kg of cannabis from an abandoned vehicle. In Kano, operatives seized 130,100 tablets of tramadol and Exol-5, while Kaduna operations yielded 496.5kg of cannabis and 49,500 tramadol tablets. In Abuja, officers also arrested a suspect with 29,500 tramadol capsules.
The agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools and communities across the country. NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged personnel nationwide to sustain intelligence-led efforts against drug trafficking while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
