The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus.
A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja stated that operatives of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos intercepted the consignments.
Babafemi said that 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.
He said that additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Uchenna, during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday October 24.
He also said that 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.
Meanwhile, Babafemi said that not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets were also intercepted by NDLEA operatives.
Babafemi said that the drugs, which were concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms.
“They were seized by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, (DOGI), in Lagos on Thursday, October 2,” he said.
In the same vein, a total of 26,250,000 pills of tramadol as well as 508,400 bottles of codeine based syrup were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Port Onne, Rivers State.
Babafemi said that the drugs intercepted by NDLEA operatives were worth N16.6bn in street value.
He said that they were recovered during an 100 per cent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies between Tuesday, Oct. 22 and Wednesday, Oct. 23.
“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.
“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 Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10m paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case,” he said.
