PHOTOS: 31 Million Pills, Bottles of Opioid Worth N17.9bn Intercepted by NDLEA at Nigerian Ports

• The NDLEA intercepted a large shipment of 31,124,600 tramadol pills (225mg) and codeine-based syrup bottles
• The operation, driven by intelligence on the shipment's movement from India, led to a joint examination by the NDLEA, Nigerian Customs Service, and other security agencies
• In a related incident, NDLEA operatives at Port Harcourt International Airport arrested a suspect attempting to smuggle 1,490 tramadol pills

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed that the intercepted drugs were with a street value exceeding N17.9 billion.

These seizures were made at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State, and Tincan Seaport in Lagos.

According to the NDLEA, the operation followed intelligence gathered on the shipment's movement from India, prompting a request for a comprehensive joint examination of the containers by the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies, The Punch reported.

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NDLEA reveals details of operations

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed the details of the operation on Sunday.

He reported that on Thursday, August 29, and Friday, August 30, 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were confiscated from two containers at Tincan Port in Lagos, with each container holding 175,000 bottles of the opioid.

In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted 447 cartons containing 29,840,000 tramadol pills (225mg) along with 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup from three containers at the Port Harcourt Port Complex on Thursday, August 29.

Babafemi noted that the tramadol shipments were labeled under different brand names, including Royal Tapentadol, Carisoprodol (225mg), and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride (225mg), as reported by Vanguard.

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Further inspections on Friday, August, led to the discovery of 3,030 cartons containing 554,600 bottles of codeine syrup from three more containers, bringing the total number of seized codeine bottles at both ports to 1,284,600, valued at N8.99 billion, while the total tramadol pills seized stood at 29,840,000, worth N8.94 billion.

Man moving 1,490 tramadol pills in Port Hourt intercepted

Similarly, on Tuesday, 27th August, NDLEA operatives at Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State apprehended a suspect named Eze Emekan Don.

He was trying to board a Cronos Airline flight to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, with 1,490 tramadol pills hidden and disguised as various cosmetic products inside his luggage.

The suspect’s attempt to bribe the officers in an effort to avoid arrest was firmly rejected.

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NDLEA proposes drug tests as pre-condition for varsity admission

In another development, Legit.ng reported that Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola, the commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara state, has proposed that universities require newly admitted students to undergo mandatory drug tests as part of their admission process.

She explained that this would “Serve as a preventive measure while offering early intervention and counselling for those already using drugs to prevent them from becoming problematic users”.

Source: Legit.ng