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NDLEA Seizes ₦16.6bn Worth of Opioids and Drug Shipments Bound for US and Europe
The NDLEA has intercepted a massive drug haul valued at ₦16.6 billion, with concealed opioids and US- and Europe-bound shipments hidden in shoe soles and seaports. Discover more about this significant bust.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reports that its officers have intercepted hard drugs hidden in shoe soles and hair extensions, destined for the United States and various parts of Europe.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi announced that the anti-narcotics agency had seized the consignments at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja Lagos.
He stated, “On October 12th, 2024, authorities seized a total of 2,118 tramadol pills hidden within the soles of thirteen pairs of shoes bound for Cyprus at the export shed in Lagos airport. During a follow-up operation on Thursday, October 24th in Enugu targeting Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna’s residence—the sender—an additional 380 tablets were recovered. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement also confiscated N968,880 cash and a Toyota Avalon car with license plate UWN 389 AS from the suspect.”
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A minimum of 293 ampoules containing promethazine and pentazocine injections, along with 1.690 kg of cannabis and tramadol tablets hidden in hair attachments and shoe soles destined for the United States, United Kingdom, and Oman were seized by NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) at three courier firms in Lagos on Thursday, October 24th.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted a total of 26,250,000 tramadol pills and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a thorough joint examination with Customs Service officers and other security agencies. These items have an estimated street value of N16,683,800,000. The operation took place at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port in Onne Rivers State between Tuesday October 22nd and Wednesday October 23rd.
See the full statement below:
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles and N16.6b opioids at seaports.
. Recovers 2,760 kg of illicit consignments in Lagos shrine, underground storage in Lekki
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, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, and three courier companies in the state.
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 12th October 2024, and an additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. 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 1.690 kg of 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, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday, October 24th.
In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state, between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.
Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700 kg at Tincan and Onne, respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28 kg, were also recovered from a container that arrived at the Lagos port from Canada. A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at the Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure, while a bribe of N10 million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday, October 25th, raided the Igbo-Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760 kg were recovered and two suspects, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun, were arrested. Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin, was also arrested the same day with 770 kg of the same psychoactive substance along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol, and diazepam, as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup, were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi, dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal Road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos, when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday, 25th October. The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug, and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.
In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85 kg of cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect, Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei-Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam, and pentazocine injection on Wednesday, 23rd October.
A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday, October 21st, nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5 kg of cannabis linked to him at Wuse Market Park.
In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640 kg of cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA, and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect, Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133 kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, October 24th.
With the same vigor, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centers, work places, and communities, among others, in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers state; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, 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.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday, 27th October 2024