The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted N1.1 billion worth of codeine consignment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that a total of 160,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in a 40ft container on Thursday, September 4.
This, he said, was during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers and men of Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State.
“The container which has 220 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares used as cover for the codeine syrup, was one of the shipments watch-listed.
“It was tracked by a special operations unit of NDLEA while the illicit consignment has an estimated street value of over N1.1 billion, ” he said.
A Milan Italy-based Nigerian was on Friday, September 5 arrested by NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of terminal 1 of the Lagos airport.
The NDLEA spokesman said the suspect was nabbed while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy.
“He was found to have concealed a total of 24,480 pills of tramadol 100mg, 200mg and 225mg, which he claimed he was going to sell for €19,520,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba, a total of 18,750 kg of skunk were destroyed on 7.5 hectares of cannabis plantations at Joro-Ade village, Ardo Kola, LGA on Tuesday, Sept. 2 with of the two farms were arrested during the operation.
“In the same vein, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.
“Instances include: WADA sensitisation lecture to officers and men of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lafia, Nasarawa state; ward heads in Kano Municipal Council, Kano state; and members of traditional medicine practitioners association, Awgu local government area, Anambra state.
“Also, the Kogi state strategic command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Ohi of Ihima and Chairman Okehi LGA council of traditional rulers, HRH Alhaji Abdulraheem Ahmed Ogido, among others”.
Meanwhile, NDLEA also recovered 653kg of Colorado and Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa in Lagos and Abuja raids respectively.
Giving a breakdown, Babafemi said that in the Federal Capital Territory,(FCT), Abuja, NDLEA operatives on a stop and search operation on Thursday, September 4 arrested a dispatch rider.
Babafemi said that the suspect was nabbed in the Gwarimpa area of FCT while conveying 3.1kg Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
He said that in Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Monday, September 1 arrested two suspects while loading four distribution vehicles at their 28 Ola Street, Ijesha Surulere home.
“Recovered from them include: 9kg of Canadian Loud; 5kg of Colorado and 1,101 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud.
“This was weighing 611kg, bringing the total weight of the combined seizures to 625 kilogrammes,” he said.
In another raid in Lagos on Friday, September 5, a couple were arrested with 24.4kg of skunk.
Babafemi said that the strain of cannabis was recovered from their home in Ajegunle area of the state.
Babafemi said that a 45-year-old suspect was also arrested with 53.400kg of skunk concealed in two cartons in the trunk of his Toyota Avensis car marked ABC 338 SS in Kogi.
According to him, a 23-year old was nabbed in a follow up operation in Auchi, Edo State on Friday, September 5 in connection with the earlier seizure of 233kg skunk in Kakau, Kaduna State.
Similarly, 11,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a suspect when he was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, September 3 at 61 Bida Road, Onitsha, Anambra State.
In the same vein, operatives on patrol along Minna-Bida road, Niger State on Tuesday, September 2 intercepted a white Toyota Hilux vehicle leading to arrest of the driver and seizure of 30 bags of skunk weighing 342 kg.
All the seizures were worth billions of naira.
