An Indian businessman, Vyapak Nutal has been taken into custody for interrogation by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the smuggling of 134,700 bottles of Codeine syrup into the country through the land border between Nigeria and Niger Republic in Sokoto State.
The suspect had loaded the consignment into trucks in Cotonou, Benin Republic and drove through the land borders via Niger Republic before entering Sokoto state at the Illela border.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said the detained suspect lodged in a hotel in Sokoto State, where credible intelligence revealed that Nutal began to look for buyers for the controlled drug.
While operatives were on his trail, officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) were able to apprehend him and swiftly handed him over to NDLEA on 10th February 2022.
Similarly, attempts by drug traffickers to export large quantities of Heroin, Methamphetamine, Khat, Tramadol and Cannabis through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) as well as three courier companies in Lagos have been frustrated by narcotic officers who intercepted the illicit consignments.
At the Lagos airport, operatives on February 8 arrested one Felix Rotimi Eshemokhai with 1.75kg heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco while another trafficker, Okafor Emmanuel Onuzuruike was also nabbed same day during his bid to travel on Rwand Air to Dubai with 2.2kg of Cannabis concealed in foodstuff.
Babafemi said, not less than 25 kilograms of Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Cannabis and Khat concealed in motor parts, MP3 player, speaker and fabrics heading to USA, UK, Australia, Dubai and Madagascar were seized at three major courier companies in Lagos.
In Gombe state, 31,000 capsules of Tramadol were recovered from a truck that left Onitsha, Anambra state for Mubi, Adamawa state and the owner, Ibrahim Tukur Bage was arrested on Friday 11th February, while attempting to escape.
This followed the arrest of Aliu Salami with 143.9kg cannabis at Oke-Ata, Abeokuta South LGA, Ogun state on 9th February.
In Benue state, a fake security agent, Mr. Dennis Emadiong was on Saturday arrested at NDLEA check point, Alaide, Benue with 239grams of cannabis and 10 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition while on his way from Akwa Ibom to Maiduguri, Borno State.
Another suspect, Stephen Folorunsho was also nabbed during a routine Stop and Search operation, along Apir-Makurdi road with 147 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 130kg stuffed inside bales of used clothes popularly called Okrika on his way to Gombe State.
In Adamawa state, no fewer than 22,700 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5 were seized in Numan area of the state from two drug dealers: Mmaduabuchibeya Kingsley and Onyeke Kenneth in separate raids on 10th February.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report.…
and then