NDLEA seizes N7.35bn Codeine consignments, makes multiple arrests

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a significant shipment of codeine syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State.

The seizure, which involved 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid, is valued at over N7.35 billion.

The operation, conducted on Saturday, June 29, 2024, followed weeks of diligent tracking and intelligence gathering by a special NDLEA unit.

The unit collaborated with the Port Harcourt Ports Command and other security agencies, including the Customs Service, to carry out a 100 percent joint examination of six targeted containers.

This was disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA in Abuja on Sunday.

According to him, In Lagos, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) arrested two passengers traveling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight after they tested positive for ingesting illicit substances.

The suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were placed in observatory custody. Daniel excreted 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg, while Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps weighing 662 grams. Further investigation revealed that Daniel had stolen his late uncle’s identity to obtain a Schengen visa.

On June 28, 2024, NDLEA operatives recovered 40.32 kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from an abandoned black Toyota Tacoma truck along Lekki-Ikoyi Road. The driver fled upon noticing the operatives’ pursuit.

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In Abuja, NDLEA disrupted a drug party dubbed “Go Hard or Go Home, Pick Your Poison” on June 28, 2024, arresting 60 suspects, including 25 males and 35 females, at an apartment in Sun City estate. The raid followed credible intelligence about the event organized by Stanley Ikechukwu. Six suspects were found with ecstasy and cannabis. NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) ordered the unconditional release of 20 suspects who tested negative for drugs. The 33 who tested positive were granted bail and will report for treatment and counseling.

In Edo State, four suspects were arrested during a raid on a cannabis farm in Ugun, Igueben LGA. NDLEA operatives destroyed 18,632.22 kg of cannabis on 7.45 hectares of farmland.

The NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities, including lectures and advocacy visits to schools, religious centers, and communities across the country.

Commending the officers involved in these operations, Brig. Gen. Marwa warned drug cartels that the agency remains vigilant and dedicated to thwarting their trafficking efforts. He encouraged NDLEA officers to maintain their balanced approach to drug control.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE