NDLEA intercepts codeine shipment, opioids conceal in ladies’ hair …….Arrests Nigerien with illicit drugs concealed in pesticide tanks

Babatunde Ayeni

 The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have again intercepted another consignment of 175,000 bottles of the same opioid imported from India. This is coming barely a week after seizing a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state. In a statement signed by the Agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the Agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 percent examination.

 The statement added that latest seizure of 875 cartons of codeine containing 175,000 bottles and weighing 26,250kg, was made on Friday 7th June 2024 during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs Service and other security agencies, noting that the container marked HASU 4787890 from India was enroute C to C bonded terminal in Enugu. Babafemi said that NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday 5th June intercepted five different parcels containing illicit drugs concealed in ladies’ clothes and synthetic hair going to the United States and United Kingdom.

“Some of the seized drugs include 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine and other opioids, adding that the drug consignments were seized at a courier firm in Lagos”, he said. According to him, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi road on Saturday 8th June arrested a 32-year-old Nigerien, Hassan Mummuni with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.250kg cannabis, concealed in four pesticide tanks, while the operatives in Gombe state same day arrested Ibrahim Abubakar (aka Alhajiji) at Herwagana, with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam, adding that not less than 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a suspect, Onyekachi ThankGod Iwula, 42, following his arrest in a commercial bus at Aloma junction, Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue state.

Also in Bauchi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ningi-Kano road on Wednesday 5th June arrested a 20-year-old lady, Hasana Usman, with 25 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 28.2kg, while their counterparts in Yobe state nabbed Ali Mohammed, 42, along Kano-Potiskum road, with 19,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in a black sack and the suspect’s travelling bag.

Similarly, a 57-year-old Oladimeji Samson was arrested in Oyo state in a commercial bus at the Ibadan end, of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with 79 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing of 44.4kg and 48 grams of ecstasy, all concealed in the engine compartment under the driver’s seat of the bus.

NDLEA also seized 17,980 pills of tramadol and other opioids from a suspect, Ali Isiaka Mohammed, 36, following his arrest at Ganaja village, Lokoja LGA, Kogi state, while the duo of Blessing Samuel, 35, and Unnanchi Mike, 34, were arrested with 804 bottles of codeine syrup at Narayi, Kaduna state.

 Also in Kaduna, Tijjani Umar, 37, and Yahaya Suleman, 35, were arrested with 33.9 kilograms of cannabis sativa at Lafiya area, Kudan local government area of the state. The arrest of nine suspects including Salisu Sanda, 48, and James Andrew, 25, were done by NDLEA operatives during a raid at Toaabora hills area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Saturday 8th June with a total of 83.01kg cannabis recovered from them.