Drug Trafficking: NDLEA seizes 14.4m Opioids as suspect excretes 86 wraps of heroin

*Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/CEO of Nigeria’s National Drug Enforcement Agency, commends the Officers and Men of Lagos and Abuja Airports, Lagos, Osun, Edo and FCT Commands as well as those of DOGI for the anti-narcotics regulatory agency’s latest arrests and seizures

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In a move to ensure a drugs-free society, the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized no about 14.5 million pills of Tramadol and bottles of Codeine syrup worth over N13 billion in street value in Lagos State.

Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, who disclosed this development in a statement issued Sunday, November 5, 2023, said the operatives of the agency made the recovery in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota, and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

The anti-narcotics regulatory agency noted the three intelligence-led operations, started with the raid of House 8/10, Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin Sunday, 29th October, where 490,000 pills of Tramadol and 81,519 bottles of Codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.

The NDLEA stated that in a similar operation Tuesday, 31st October, its operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where 12.7 million pills of Tramadol were recovered.

The statement further said likewise, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouse at the Lagos Airport into the West African country have been arrested and One Million Two Hundred and Ten Thousand (1,210,000) pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.

Babafemi said: “The six suspects already in NDLEA custody include: Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Udeh Felix Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Evans Icibor, while three other suspects: Sarki Mubarak Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, are now on the run and wanted by NDLEA.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, the agency said the operatives Sunday, 29th October also intercepted another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Ifeanyi Anthony during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, in The Netherlands via Paris, in France, at the boarding gate and was body-scanned.

The result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion, stated the agency.

The statement further explained: “The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.

“Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms on Monday, 30th October intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.”

The Director of Media and Advocacy stated: “The lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along Gwagwalada Expressway, Abuja, with 12kgs of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano Saturday, 28th October.

Investigations, however, established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

“While commending the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Lagos, Osun, Edo and FCT Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain focused as the Agency expands its operations against drug cartels.”